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MAP OF LOCH LOMOND AND EXVIROXS, SHOWING MACFARLANE LOCATIONS.
41
History of clan MacFarlane
HISTORY
OF
Clan MacFarlane
By
James MacFarlane
Author of "The Red Fox"
Published under the auspices of the Clan MacFarlane Society,
205 Hope Street, Glasgow
GLASGOW
DAVID J. CLARK LIMITED, 92 UNION STREET
1922
CHIEFS OF MACFARLANE.
1225-1866.
I. — Gilchrist, 1225-1263*
2. — Duncan, 1284-1296*
3. — Malduin, 1 31 4*
4. — Parlan, 1329*
5. — Malcolm, 1 344-1 373*
6. — Duncan, 1395-1406*
7.— John. - - - - 1426-1441*
8. — Duncan, 1441-
9. — Walter, -1488
ID. — Andrew, 1488-1493
II. — Sir John, -1514
12. — Andrew, 1514-1544
13.— Duncan, 1544-1547
14. — Andrew, 1 547-1 61 2
15- — John, 1612-1624
16.— Walter, 1 624-1 664
17. — John, 1664-1679
18. — Andrew, 1679-1685
19- — John, 1685-1705
20. — Walter, 1 705-1 767
21. — William, 1 767-1 787
22. — John, 1787-
23. — William, -1820
24. — Walter, - - 1820-1830
25. — William, 1 830-1 866
* These dates are approximate.
INDEX. ,^^P .
Chiefs of MacFarlane, - - ^
Preface, - 7
Chapter I., Introductory, 11
Chapter II., Gilchrist, is t Chief ; TheFoun<Iei of the
Clan. 27
Chapter III., Duncan, 2nd Chief, 30
Chapter IV., Malduin, 3rd Chief ; King Robert Bruce, 32
Chapter V., Pharlan, 4th Chief ; Origin of the
Surname MacFarlane, - - - '' 3<3
Chapter VI., Malcolm, 5th Chief ; MacFarlane, Heir
Male of Lennox Earldom, - - 38
Chapter VII., Duncan, 6th Chief, 40
Chapter VIII., John, 7th Chief, 42
Chapter IX., Duncan, 8th Chief, 43
Chapter X., Walter, gth Chief ; Legend of the Pie-
bald Horse, 44
Chapter XL, Andrew, loth Chief, 48
Chapter XII., Sir John, nth Chief, .... ^g
Chapter XIII. , Andrew, 12th Chief, 51
Chapter XIV., Duncan, 13th Chief, 55
Chapter XV., Andrew, 14th Chief ; Battle of La ngside ;
The Colquhoun Feud ; The Raid of
Glen Finlas, 61
Chapter XVI. . John. 15th Chief; Raid of the Athol
Men ; The MacFarlane-Buchanan
Vendetta, 99
Chapter XVII., Walter, i6th Chief ; The Burning of the
Forest, - - - - - - 112
Chapter XVIII. John, 17th Chief; MacFarlane and the
Church, 118
Chapter XIX., Andrew, i8th Chief ; The Collateral
Succession; 124
Chapter XX., John, 19th Chief, 126
Chapter XXL. Walter. 20th Chief ; RebelHons of the
'15 and '45, 130
Chapter XXIL, William, 21st Chief ; Sale of MacFarlane's
Lands ; MacPharic Prophesy, - 140
Chapter XXIII. John. 22nd Chief. 152
Septs of MacFarlane (List of), 156
Chapter XXIV., Septs of MacFarlane, - - - - 157
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Map of Loch Lomond and Environs, showing MacFarlane
Locations, Frontispiece
Crest, To face page i
Arrochar House, Present Day, - . - - . - 23
MacFarlane Charter, Specimen of, 40
Thogail nam bo, 53
Eilean-a-Vo\v Castle, 65
Old House, Arrochar Village, 72
Gartartan Castle, 80
Gravestone to Inverioch Piper, 96
Memorial Stone to MacFarlane Chiefs, Luss, - - - 96
Gravestone showing Chief's Arms, . - - . - 96
Taing Water, Stronafine, 104
Head of Glen Loin, 104
Uglas Water, 104
Uglas Valley, - - - - 104
In veruglas Castle, - - -112
Battle of Bothwell Bridge, 118
Arms of Andrew of Ardess, - - 124
Inverioch House, 12S
Walter, 2oth Chief. 132
Communion Cups, Arrochar Church, 137
Armorial Tea Plate, i47
Pages from Arrochar Parish Register, 152
Clan Tartans, at end
PREFACE
To all members of Cloinn Pharlain, in all parts of the
world — Greeting !
In these pages we have endeavoured to pro\dde a
work, the need of which has been long apparent,
namely, an authoritative book on the Clan.
While the information contained is by no means
complete, still we are able to say that this is the most
comprehensive history of the MacFarlanes ever
produced. The arrangement is such that anyone, so
disposed, may continue this labour of love by completing
the work of research. He will not be compelled, as
was our case, to build from the foundations, for these
are here, we think, well and truly laid. It will be
gathered from this statement that we regard this book
only as a contribution, albeit a substantial one, to the
subject, and we cherish a hope that broadcast circula-
tion will have the effect of bringing information to
light to fill the blanks of time and circumstance,
readily discernible in our pages.
The formation of the Society of the Clan MacFarlane
has resulted in bringing together much new material
which is here published for the first time, and we
gratefuUy acknowledge assistance ungrudgingly given
by members of the families concerned, as well as by
friends interested in historical research.
The necessity for the publication of this work has
been borne in upon us in many ways. The recurrence
of the same name amongst the chiefs, particularly
John, has led to endless confusion in the minds of
writers who have been unable, or unwilling, to verify
their facts. Some of these errors are quaint, some
stupid. For example we may give two dealing with
the origin of the name Pharlain.
" There were two clans fighting with each other, one
of which was wiped out, all but one helpless little
8 Preface
child. One of the conquerors had pity on it, and hid it
in a cradle till he could not hide it any longer. They
asked him where he got the child. He said it came
from a ' far land.' They added the ' Mac,' and the
little child lived to be the progenitor of the Mac-
Farlanes " (or, more plausibly, MacFarlands. — Editor).
" My aunt also told me," the writer continues, " that
the crest was a full dressed warrior with drawn sword
guarding the child in the cradle : hence the motto,
' This I'll defend.' "
Our readers will agree that this is a very pretty
fable ; but what are we to think of the follov/ing by a
contributor under the nom-de-plume " A Fitzallan,"
from the Weekly Scotsman : —
" I have never been satisfied with any given explan-
ation of the origin of the name MacFarlane. I would
offer one that has some probability on its side.
" It is well known that the family name of Stewart
was Fitz-Alan until they adopted that of their official
rank and became Stewarts.
" About this same time, I have read somewhere, a
strong body of the Fitz- Alans crossed the Clyde into the
Lennox district where they seem to have been well
received, and settled upon Loch Lomondside. Their
name (pronounced Fe Alan) would readily become
Pharlane or Farlan among the Highlanders around
them. Their social position is denoted by the Earl
of Lennox bestowing his daughter upon their leader in
marriage, and on their part they seem to have been
strong adherents of these early Earls of Lennox. Being
nearly connected with the Stuart Fitz- Alans, acknow-
ledged kinsmen of the Scottish King, the sequence of
events seems easily credible. Parian may be Gaelic
for Bartholomew, but was the latter ever in use among
the early Celtic races ? "
So far as we can judge, " A Fitz-Alan" has gone
astray over the story of Walter de Fassalane, who
married the Countess Margaret, daughter of Donald,
Preface 9
the sixth Earl of Lennox. There exist grounds for the
belief that Walter was a Fitz-Alan Stewart.
A cutting in lighter vein is as follows : —
" They are an enterprising and progressive people in
Dunedin, and do things well at all times. It was in
Dunedin that an ingenious Ah Sin — there are many
Chinese about the Otago diggings — once made a famous
attempt to break through the Scottish ' ring.' A
road-contract was advertised by a town council,
and when all the tenders came in, the lowest — from
one Alexander MacFarlane — was selected, and the
would-be contractor invited to call and sign
the necessary papers. At the appointed time a
bland Chinaman appeared and answered to the name.
' But look ye here, man,' said the surprised head of the
council, ' yer name's no' Alexander MacFarlane,
surely ? ' ' Allitee,' said the Celestial, ' me savee
this pidgin — supposee no gottee name belong ' Mac,'
no gettee contract ! ' "
But the MacFarlanes — the genuine MacFarlanes —
leave their mark everywhere they go. There is a
station named MacFarlane on the Cape Government
Railway, near Kimberley ; in Canada there is a Mac-
Farlane River, while in Shepherd's Bush, London,
there is a thoroughfare called MacFarlane Place. A
wayfaring clansman finding himself in this street one
night very late, is recorded to have remarked, somewhat
unsteadily, that he had reached home, and was with
difficulty induced to proceed.
In the United States of America there is a MacFar-
lane motor car, needless to say, of the highest grade ;
and in Texas, a Loch Sloy Post Office.
The supreme claim to greatness for the Clan, however,
has been advanced by a Robert MacFarlane of
Brooklyn, New Jersey, U.S.A., who, under date gth
February, 1878, wrote in the North American
Journal : —
"If we are to credit the Irish annalists, the
.MacFarlanes may lay claim to Ireland. It is
10 Preface
stated in ' The Annals of Ireland ' that after the
flood the first settlers were Partholanes. As
Dunfermline means Partholane, or MacFarlane's
Fort, and is still called ' Dunf arlane ' by the old
folk, perhaps the first Partholanes landed at
Dunfermhne and were Kings of Fife."
The imaginative efforts we have given are indicative
of the mass of fiction which, for lack of a true historical
record, has grown up around the name of MacFarlane,
and they provide a sufficient excuse for the appearance
of this volume, even if there were not an abundance
of other good reasons.
We, as a Clan, desire neither to be unnecessarily
praised nor unduly traduced, but owing to the tardy
appearance of this work our " unfriends " have had
a long rope. The taunts, " cattle thieves " " name
your chief," " broken clan," and the like are ill to
brook, yet what was to be expected when the origin
of these was the tainted source of the historian of the
ancient enemy, paid to produce a history of the Clan
Colquhoun. Yet, such is poetic justice or the irony
of circumstance, that that author stands convicted out
of his own work. He was in the habit of employing
literary ghosts, and one of these told the truth without
being detected, so we have the quaint situation of the
ostensible writer lauding the Colquhouns to the clouds
and with no epithet severe enough to besmirch the
dastardly MacFarlanes, and at the end of the book, in
a few pages turned over to an assistant, the cat out of
the bag. We confess that the discovery filled us with
an unholy joy.
But, now, in chastened mood, we launch this book
trembling lest some similar literary fate o'ertakes us.
At all events, we can say with hand on heart, that what
is set down here is to the best of our knowledge, and to
that we can at least pledge our word.
Yours in the bond of clanship,
JAMES MACFARLANE.
CHAPTER I.
Introductory.
THE history and traditions of the Clan MacFarlane
are amongst the most romantic and entrancing
of the folklore of the Scottish Highlands.
The early history of the Clan is so interlinked with
that of the ancient Earls of Lennox, from which it
sprung, that the story of one is practically that of the
other, until the extinction of the original house of
Lennox, in the reign of James L of Scotland. Similarly,
when the title was bestowed upon John Stewart, a
close relationship was maintained through almost the
entire period of the Darnley sway. The first Chief
of MacFarlane was a son of the second Earl of Lennox,
and the second Chief cousin and son-in-law of the
fourth Earl, while the tenth Chief of MacFarlane was
a son-in-law of the first Darnley Earl.
These things are amplified in the historical portion
of the work. This chapter, hke the hors d'ceuvres
before a feast, is intended only for the tit-bits of clan
lore — vagrant trifles to whet the reader's appetite for
the more satisfying viands to follow.
Very well, then ! The Clan was Farlan, its
badge the cranberry, its slogan or cri de guerre,
" Loch Sloy," its motto, " This I'll defend," and its
banshee, a black goose. The designation of the Chief
was Mac-a-Bhairling or MacPharthaloin, i.e. MacFarlane
of that Ilk.
They occupied the fastnesses of the Arrochar
mountains for some six hundred years. The
Colquhouns were their traditional enemies, while
their friends and allies were " the clan with a name
History of Clan MacFarlane
that is nameless by day " — the MacGregors. They
were generally not unfriendly with their neighbours
to the west, the Campbells. The principal castles or
houses of the chiefs were at Ardleish, Inveruglas,
island Vow, and Arrochar.
Along with Clan Donnachaidh (Robertson), the
MacFarlanes are said to have been the earliest of the
clans to hold their lands by feudal charter. Robertson
and MacFarlane possess another conjoint distinction
in that they are the only clans to bear the Royal Crown
of Scotland in their crests.
The MacFarlanes of Arrochar, according to the
language of the times, were amongst the families of
good account in the Lennox, in the period between the
I2th and 14th centuries, and took a greater or less share
in the important events transacted in that district.
Skene, in asking himself the question — " What is a
Highland Clan ? " eliminates all but such families as,
in his opinion, were of Gaelic origin.
He reviews the six great maarmarships or baronies of
the Highlands — Gallgael, Moray, Ross, Garmoran,
Caithness and Ness. " In the Gallgael maarmarship
we have," he continues, " the five great clans of Cuinn,
Gillevray, Eachern, Donnachie, and Pharlane." Thus
the house is amongst the most ancient.
The name has been variously spelt, from time to
time, MacPharlane, MacPharline, MacFarlin, Mac-
Farlane, MacFarland, and MacFarlan. The GaeHc
rendering is Parlanach, from early Irish, Partholan,
and in the Hebrew is Bartholomew, " Son of Furrows."
Although it is usual to associate the clan with the
Arrochar country, at a comparatively early date they
spread further afield. We find sons of chiefs located
at Inversnaid, Ardess (at the foot of Ben Lomond),
Gartartan (Gartmore) the Mains of Kilmaronock,
BaUaggan, Campsie, and at Drumfad and Auchinvenal
in Glen Fruin, while at least two branches of the main
stem established themselves in Argyllshire. To this
Introductory 13
day the districts of Menteith and Buchanan teem with
MacFarlanes, and the name predominates in the
graveyards of Aberfoyle, Gartmore, Balmaha
(Buchanan), Inchcaillach, Luss, Ballyhennan (Tarbet),
and Arrochar. In the North of Ireland, Newton
Stewart, Co. Tyrone, is a centre of the clan, while
under other names there are colonies in Banffshire
and Aberdeen.
It is stated that the MacFarlanes once owned six
large estates besides Arrochar, which, itself, contains
31,000 acres. They intermarried with some of the
noblest of the families of Scotland, such as those of
Livingstone, Glencairn, Stewart of Ochiltree, and
others.
Away up, deep among the everlasting hills, at least
five miles over bog and heather from any highway, lies
the little mountain tarn of Loch Sloy. Upon its shores
the clan were wont to retire in times of stress, and no
more impregnable fortress could be desired. Sur-
rounded by high mountains upon every side, save at
the lower end, where the Uglas Water leaps over a high
parapet of rocks, a handful of daring men could hold
the approach against hundreds. No sound but that
of the moorfowl disturbs the silence of the sullen lake.
Lonely Loch Sloy gave a war-cry to the clan, and,
many times and oft, did the sound of it, hurled from
stentorian throats, strike terror to the hearts of
luckless opponents.
The chiefs exercised all the powers of feudal lords.
They possessed the right of pit and gallows, and
condemned persons to be hanged on a knoll at Tarbet.
The name of this place of execution is Tom na Croich
(the gallows hill).
" The Wizard of the North " had a warm corner in
his heart for the Clan MacFarlane, as is shown by
frequent references to its history and traditions in the
Waverley Novels. In " Rob Roy " we have Bailie
Nicol Jarvie's laughable speech to Helen MacGregor,
14 History of Clan MacFarlane
when he claims relationship with her after the fight at
the pass of Loch Ard.
" I dinna ken," said the undaunted Bailie, " if the
kindred has ever been weel redd out to you yet, cousin,
but it's ken'd and can be proved my mother Elspeth
MacFarlane was the wife of my father Deacon Nicol
Jarvie — peace be wi' them baith ! — and Elspeth was
the daughter o' Parlane Macfarlane at the sheiUng o'
Loch Sloy. Now this Parlane Macfarlane, as his
surviving daughter, Maggie Macfarlane, alias Macnab,
wha married Duncan Macnab o' Stuckavrallachan, can
testify, stood as near to your guidman, Robert
Macgregor, as in the fourth degree of kindred for "
But here the worthy man was interrupted by the
impatient chieftainess, so that what further revelations
he would have made are, alas ! lost to us.
The moon is proverbially known in some districts
as Macfarlane' s buat (lantern), because by its light they
usually made their depredatory excursions upon the
low country. " Their celebrated pibroch, ' Thogail
nam b6,' " says Sir Walter, " which is the name of
their gathering tune, intimates these practices, the sense
being : —
" We are bound to drive the bullocks.
All by hollows, hirsts and hillocks,
Through the sleet and through the rain,
When the moon is beaming low,
On frozen lake and hills of snow.
Bold and heartily we go ;
And all for little gain."
Sir Walter, in " A Legend of Montrose," inspires the
devoted Highlanders of the Great Marquis with the
stirring music of the MacFarlane gathering tune, while
in his poem, " Cadzow Castle," he refers to
" Wild MacFarlane's plaided clan."
William Wordsworth, the poet, too, could not resist
the glamour of the romance of the Arrochar country.
His poem, " The Brownie's Cell," was suggested by a
Introductory 15
beautiful ruin upon one of the islands of Loch Lomond,
a place chosen for the retreat of a solitary individual,
from whom this habitation acquired the name of " The
Brownie's Cell." In a foreword to " The Brownie," a
sequel to " The Brownie's Cell," he writes,
" Upon a small island, not far from the head of Loch
Lomond, are some remains of an ancient building,
which was for several years the abode of a solitary
individual, one of the last survivors of the Clan of
MacFarlane, once powerful in that neighbourhood.
Passing along the shore opposite this island in the
year 1814, the author learned these particulars, and
that this person, then living there, had acquired the
appellation of " The Brownie."
The island referred to is manifestly Kilean-a-vow, or
Eilean-a-bhuth (the island of the shop or store) as it
was called later. Probably Wordsworth's poetic
imagination invested the trader, prosaic enough, we
daresay, with supernatural attributes, on account of his
novel system of shopkeeping. But he has done more
and worse than that, for he has permitted himself to
believe that, like Adam and Eve from Eden, the
MacFarlanes were dispossessed as a punishment for
their manifold crimes.
We append those verses of the poem, which deal
with the indictment and punishment of this wicked
clan.
IV.
Proud remnant was he of a fearless race.
Who stood and flourished face to face
With their perennial hills, but Crime,
Hastening the stem decrees of Time,
Brought low a Power, which from its home
Burst, when repose grew wearisome ;
And, taking impulse from the sword,
And, mocking its own plighted word,
Had found, in ravage widely dealt.
It's warfare's crown, its travel's belt :
i6 History of Clan MacFarlane
V.
All, all were dispossessed, save him whose smile
Shot lightning through this lone isle !
No right had he but what he made
To this small spot, his leafy shade ;
But the ground lay within that ring
To which he only dared to cling ;
Renouncing here, as worse than dead,
The craven few who bowed the head
Beneath the change ; who heard a claim
How loud I yet lived in peace with shame.
That Wordsworth did not trouble himself over much
with details, is shown by the fact, that he believed the
ruins to be those of a religious house, as witness the
line, " There stood a consecrated pile, where tapers
burned and mass was sung ; " and again, on the
Brownie's death, " How he was found, cold as an
icicle, under an arch of that forlorn abode ; " never-
theless we are grateful to this great English poet in
that he was responsive to the beauty and significance
of the scene ; so many pass that way with no thought
for the " glory that has departed."
From " The Spaewife."
In " The Spaewife," that great romance of the
Lennox, John Gait also has something to interest us.
Appended are extracts : —
" A sedate shelty was accordingly provided to carry
Bishop Finlay over the hills, and the skin of an otter,
or selgh, was laid on its back, as an emblem and sub-
stitute for a saddle ; two thongs cut from the hide of a
cow were as stirrups, for in those days tanned leather
was not amongst the Celts ; and for the bridle there
was another thong ; and the bit, which was put into
the mouth of the Bishop's shelty, was the key of the
Provost of Dumbarton's door, which the chief of the
MacFarlanes had, a short time before, taken away with
him, when in the town on a harrying visitation, but
Introductory 17
which had been rescued by some of the Earl of Lennox's
men, with all the other spoil, as the MacFarlanes were
returning home to Arrochar."
" Surely you have not seized the unfortunate
Duchesse (of Lennox) without authority," exclaimed
the Earl (of Athol). " Know you not that the king
has offered to restore her all the earldom of Lennox,
which however " —
" AU the earldom — oomph. SowUs and podies !
Is 't the king a man wi' a sholder on a head ? And will
mi Laidie Tooches pe making a lifting pack again o'
the cows and the cattle tat te Macfarlane — oomph.
Got dam te Macfarlane ; he took te cows and cattle
when te king made his judifications — oomph."
" Of course, Glenfruin," said the Earl, " you were too
faithful to herry the lands of Lennox at the time of the
forfeiture. But if The MacFarlane has done so, let
him look to the consequences, unless he has a friend to
appease the King."
" It was agreed between them (Celestine Campbell
and his mother, the Lady of Loch Aw) that Celestine,
with a numerous train, under the pretext of hunting,
should by break of day make towards Lennox whither
. . . the Lord James (only surviving son of Murdoch,
Duke of Albany and Isabella Countess of Lennox) had
often spoke of going to raise, among the friends of his
mother's family, the means of bidding adieu to Scotland
for ever.
Celestine passed through Glencroe, and reached
Loch Long head before he heard any tidings. It was
not indeed until he had claimed entertainment from
MacFarlane in the castle of Arrochar . . . that he
obtained any information to guide his search.
History of Clan MacFarlane
It chanced on that night as he was sitting at supper
discoursing with MacFarlane of his exploits as a hunter,
that he recounted how, in returning from his late
excursion beyond Ben Cruachan, he had fallen in with
Sir Aulay Macaulay. (Lord James Stuart, at this
time, passed under the name of Sir Aulay Macaulay).
For The MacFarlane, notwithstanding the insinuations
of Glenfruin to the contrary, happened then to be one
of the most orderly and loyal of all western chieftains,
and on that account Campbell did not choose to tell
him, that he had been even so far as Loch Rannochside.
Whether there was anything particular in the sound of
his voice, or in his look, when he spoke of this adventure,
it was certainly not remarked either by MacFarlane
himself, nor by any of the kinsmen then seated at the
table with them ; but while Campbell was speaking,
he was startled by the apparition of two bright and
glittering eyes shining in an obscure corner in the hall
over against him ; and in a moment after, the voice of
the Spaewife was heard chanting from the same place: —
" Sir Aulay Macaulay, the Laird of Cairndhue,
Bailie of Dumbarton, and Provost of the Rhue."
" O never mind her ! " said MacFarlane ; "it is
that poor wandering creature, Anniple of Dunblane ;
she came into the hall a short time before yourself.
They say she knows something by common ; but
whether it be so or not. she's a harmless thing, and is
aye free of a night's lodging here."
" Aye," interposed Anniple, dragging herself for-
ward without rising : "it's well known that I ken
something —
" Sir Aulay Macaulay, the Laird of Cairndhue,
Bailie of Dumbartop, and Provost of the Rhue."
" Well," said Campbell, " and what know you of
him ? Have you seen him lately ? How was it with
him ? "
Introductory 19
She, however, made no answer, but sang : —
" This night beneath the greenwood tree
My love has laid him down ;
And the bells will ring, ring merrilie.
Or they wile him to the town."
" Who is your love ? " said Campbell eagerly, struck
by something peculiar in her manner.
" Sir Aulay Macaulay, the Laird of Caimdhue,
Bailie of Dumbarton, and Provost of the Rhue."
Campbell perceived that she had some notion of the
anxiety with which he had asked the questions ; but
afraid of being too curious lest he might attract
observation, he smiled to MacFarlane, as if at Anniple's
rhapsody, and casting a slight glance towards her,
resumed the conversation which she had interrupted.
(Next morning, it may be stated, Anniple met
Campbell on his way to Tarbet and led him over the
hills to Glen Fruin where he attained his desire of
meeting Lord James. Gait need not have feared to
have made Campbell take MacFarlane into his con-
fidence, for however well affected towards King James,
it is inconceivable that a MacFarlane chief would
have betrayed a scion of the house of Lennox, his own
kith and kin. — Editor).
The danger Lord James ran in Glen Fruin is
illustrated by the following remark of the hypothetical
chieftain of that name to Campbell during their
soj ourn at his castle.
" Al in good time, Celestine Campbell, my very goot
young friend, and we wiU pe telling you al. Do you
know. King's herald, tat te Macaulay — ah he is te
false and te traitor, too — oomph ! was na he wi' te
Lord Hameis (James) and tat Peeshop o' Pelzeebub,
te Peeshop o' Lismore when tey prunt te town o'
Dumbarton — and to MacFarlane — God tam te Mac-
Farlane — he Hfted al te catties from te lands o' Lennox,
20 History of Clan MacFarlane
and te Glenf ruins were na left te halph of a two-score —
oomph ! And would na it pe a pail and a ransom for
Glenf ruin to te King's Majestie — to catch te Macaulay
— oomph ! "
A further interesting extract is from a volume,
published at Jena, in 1866, by Dr. Richard Andree,
" Vom Tweed zur Pentlandfohrde." In this account
of a visit to Scotland the author gives a picture of a
splendid specimen of the race : —
" At the gate of Taymouth Castle he was met by an
old keeper. The old MacFarlane was a magnificent
figure of a Highlander. He had eighty years behind
him, yet he was fresh and strong for his age, his gait
was straight and upright, his hair silver- white, his
cheeks rosy. The naked calves, that showed from
under his short Campbell tartan kilt, were rigid as a
young man's, and the years had not been able to
quench the fire of his eyes. They shone with a strange
brilliance when he spoke of his eventful life. In his
early years he had been a soldier, and had served with
Wellington in the Peninsula. Later he fought with
the Forty- Second Highland Regiment at Waterloo.
Later he fought against Napoleon's breast- plated
cavalry. He had seen the nobility of France in flight,
and had turned back home to the mountains of his
beloved Scotland."
In later times Neil Munro in his fine Highland novel's,
particularly " Doom Castle," makes frequent references
to the clan, but in its decay. He appears to regard our
progenitors as a race of freebooters without a redeeming
quality, but that was necessary for his purpose.
It would seem that the greater the distance from the
ancient home, the greater becomes the clansman's love
of the old traditions. Many years ago, a Mrs.
Macfarlane Little, of Statin Island, U.S.A., spent a
long hohday at Arrochar, collecting material for a book,
which she subsequently published under the title of
" Clan Farlan."
Introductory 21
While guilty of several serious inaccuracies, Mrs.
Little is entitled to our acknowledgments for making
the first serious effort towards collecting, in permanent
form, the history and records of the clan. That she
was imbued with the zeal and fervour of the true
clanswoman there can be no doubt. That spirit
breathes through the impressions of her first visit to
Arrochar, written in i8gi.
"As we neared Arrochar, the loch, now reaching
its head, narrows till it is but half a mile wide. The
scenery becomes grand, sublime, awesome. The
towering mountains, between which we glide, seem to
come down and bathe their feet in the placid waters.
Their sides are treeless, green to their summits, with
patches of bare brown rocks just visible through the
short grass, with here and there a yellow flaming bush
of the ' bonny, bonny broom.'
The rain, which had fallen for several days, had sent
rills down these steep sides till they foamed like rifts of
snow from top to bottom. The hoarse thunder,
hurled from peak to peak, added grandeur to the scene,
until the sun suddenly burst out, as if to give the
wanderers a welcome, and a rainbow lay down the
mountain side, its gay colours touching the water.
" The loch, which had been black, in a few minutes
reflected the mountains, till one might have fancied it
a grassy lawn.
" When the sun dropped like a ball of fire behind the
mountains that, grouped, stand like grim sentinels
over the little hamlet, they became violet- coloured,
then took on the hue that one sees on a great purple
plum, with the ' down ' upon it.
" On the western side of the loch rise Ben Tme and
Cuilessen Hill, while beyond and above rises, in great
majesty and grandeur, Ben Arthur, also called the
Cobbler, to a height of 2,400 feet ; his fantastic peak
so cracked and broken by countless years of frost and
rain that it bears a striking resemblance to a cobbler
22 History of Clan MacFarlane
at work, his wife in front of him, with a ' mutch ' upon
her head. This is one of the range that presents so
formidable an appearance, and is pointed out to the
tourist descending Loch Lomond as the Arrochar
Mountains.
" From the Inn at Arrochar the traveller winds
around the head of Loch Long, passing the gates of
beautiful Stronafine, crossing the picturesque stone
bridge, beneath which the Taing flows into the loch, and
skirting the western shore by a road cut from the side
of the mountain, turning to the right within a few yards
of Ardgarten, and enters Glencroe, a desolate but
magnificent glen guarded on the right by Ben Arthur.
The steep carriage-road winds up for seven miles ;
while upon the summit may be found a stone bearing
the very appropriate inscription, " Rest and be
thankful." Descending upon the other side, some
miles away, hes Inveraray Castle, the seat of the Duke
of Argyll. As our traveller retraces his steps and
crosses again the bridge, at his left lies Glenloin, up
which cattle have often been driven by the light of
MacFarlane's ' lantern.' In the distance Ben Voirlich
is seen, upon whose side is the ' lonely tarn,' Loch Sloy.
Along the eastern side of the loch are the houses of
Arrochar, built all of grey stone, and half concealed by
hedges of the green shining hawthorn. On an eminence
overlooking the water, stands ' Arrochar House,'
surrounded by its well kept, flower- decked, lawns and
noble trees ; just below are the Established Church
and Manse, the latter a commodious house, its grey
walls brightened by the ivy and magnificent climbing
roses that attain such perfection in the climate ; here,
too, are velvet lawns and lofty trees, and wherever the
eye turns, it meets a view of sublimity and grandeur ;
a rare spot in this vale of sohtude, a home well suited
to the quiet, cultured tastes of its happy and contented
inmates.
" On this side some mighty power seems to have
Introductory 23
said to the eternal mountains, ' Stand back ! ' for from
this point runs the Isthmus that connects Arrochar
and Tarbet — Loch Lomond and Loch Long. The
fine macadamised road, two miles in length, with
hedges in which the birds were singing, and ancient
oaks on either side, was once the broad avenue that ran
through MacFarlane's Park. On the left of this road
leaving Arrochar may be seen a small fragment of stone
foundation, said to have been a stronghold in which
MacFarlane placed his family when the Danes ravaged
Arrochar in 1263.
" Still nearer this last mentioned place, on the right,
the oak trees, which stand with great regularity, here
form a crescent, and the remains of a mound are seen,
said to have been MacFarlane's watch-tower. Just
below the Free Kirk Manse at Tarbet, near the water's
edge, stood the Chief's house, before the old castle was
built at Arrochar, and near it are several mounds.
'" A clergyman, whose father was the schoolmaster
at Arrochar, told us that in his boyhood, his companions
would not play there in the gloaming, because, upon
one of these mounds MacFarlane hung his criminals.
" But it is in ' Arrochar House ' our interest centres,
and imagination peoples it with brave men and fair
women. The vision fades, and we now realise that a
century has passed, that this is a new world, the
descendants of our clan are peopHng it, and, untram-
meled by the traditions of the past, emancipated from
the gradations of rank, with hand and brain they have
worked out their own destiny, and have heaped wealth,
honom-, and distinction upon the ancient and revered
name of MacFarlane."
But it is not clansmen and clanswomen alone, who
have been impressed by the beauty of the MacFarlane
country. Mr. George Eyre-Todd, a notable student of
Scottish history and folk-lore, has written,
" One of the loveliest regions in the West Highlands
is the district about the head of Loch Long and Loch
24 History of Clan MacFarlane
Lomond, which was for some five centuries the patri-
mony of the Chiefs of the MacFarlane clan. With the
waves of one of the most beautiful sea lochs of the
Clyde rippling far into its recesses, and the tideless
waters of the Queen of Scottish lochs sleeping under the
birch- clad slopes on another side, while high among its
fastnesses, between the towering heights of Ben Arthur
and Ben Voirlich, shimmers in a silver lane the jewel-
like Loch Sloy, this ancient territory could not but, in
the course of centuries, produce a race of men instinct
with the love of the mountains and the moors, and with
all the chivalrous qualities which go to make the
traditional character of the Highlanders of Scotland.
This is nothing less than fact in the case of Clan
Farlan."
Then the Rev. H. S. Winchester, B.D., Minister of
Arrochar, at the time of the Great European War,
expressed similar sentiments : — " The tourist guide-
books and railway time-tables advertise Arrochar as a
peaceful summer resort. They tell of its lochs and its
fishing streams, of its golf and its pleasant excursions,
its comfortable hotels with their moderate prices.
" Dorothy Wordsworth, looking back upon her soj ourn
there, with her brother William, and the poet Coleridge,
remembers Arrochar as a place where it always rains,
where the mountains are grand and the people are
simple, and where every woman carried a green
umbrella. Burns, who must have been in a specially
bad mood when he passed that way, writes of Arrochar
as ' land of savage hills, swept by savage rains, peopled
by savage sheep, tended by savage people.'
"And the ordinary summer visitor remembers how he
fished in Loch Long, or sweated to the top of the
Cobbler, or tramped the old road up Glen Loin to lonely
Loch Sloy, or crossed Loch Lomond to visit Loch
Katrine and the Trossachs, or sailed to Rowardennan
to climb Ben Lomond.
Introductory 25
" Now, however much truth there may be in all these
descriptions, none of them tell anything of the really
interesting Arrochar, the wild, romantic Arrochar of
long ago. And if one were to seek to advertise this
romantic Arrochar, he would tell of the grey days when
the clouds hang their veils of mystery along the
mountain tops, and the mists throw their fringes deep
into the valleys ; he would speak of the moonlight
nights when Loch Lomond lies black and eerie among
the shadows, when the Cobbler sees himself reflected
from the fairy world which sleeps in the silvery depths
of Loch Long, when the owl hoots and the heron
screams, and when the ghosts of the wild MacFarlanes
look out from the shadow of the rocks, or move noiseless
among the black firs on the hill side. He would
mention Tighvechtan and Ballyhennan, and Tomna-
croich and Tomnahianish, and all the other barbarous-
like places which say so little to the stranger but which
mean so much. For this is the true Arrochar, the
romantic Arrochar, which anyone may see and hear
and feel if he will listen to the old folks, and if he will
take the trouble to learn the story of the uncouth
names.
" Now, if a stranger seeks to interest himself in these
matters, the first thing that strikes him is this —
wherever he turns he meets the MacFarlanes. If it be
the name of the parish — its meaning is found in a
MacFarlane charter ; the odd-looking place names —
they had their origin in some deed of a MacFarlane ;
the tales of the old folks — the motif of every one is
some doing of the MacFarlane ; the church records,
the church bell, the very chalices for Holy Communion,
the mark of the MacFarlane is over them all. One
then begins to realise the full meaning of the words in
the ' old statistical account ' of Arrochar, written
about 1790, ' The greater part of the people of this
parish are MacFarlanes, who have always had, till
lately, a strong attachment to their chief '
2,6 History of Clan MacFarlane
" Arrochar is now a peaceful summer resort among the
hills. Tighnaclach and Tighness sleep by the sparkling
waters of Loch Long ■ Tarbet nestles in its trees in the
sunshine, and looks out on the dark Loch Lomond,
stretching in shady bays and wooded headlands far
into the shadow of the Ben ; the stronghold on Eilan-a-
bhuth is a bracken- covered ruin among the trees, and
nothing is left of the ancient home of the MacFarlanes
at Inveruglas except a few black firs upon the hill side,
sole survivors of the once great forest which covered
the land ; and nothing breaks the stillness save the
scream of the wild fowl or the sound of the steamer's
horn.
" But to one who remembers the Arrochar of other
days, there is more in each scene than meets the eye.
As evening falls and the mists sweep down the hill sides,
he can see the forms of stalwart men, he can catch the
gleam of the broadsword, and hear the hoarse shouts
of the fray, he can see the driven cattle and the black
MacFarlanes out to claim their toll of the Lowland-
man's wealth. Or, as the moonlight floods loch and
valley and hill tip, till Ben Arthur is seen as clearly in
the depths of Loch Long as in the light of midday, the
onlooker who remembers, holds his breath lest the wild
cry ' Loch Sloy ' ring out from Stronafyne hill, and go
echoing along Glen Tarbet, to be repeated from hill to
hill, tiU it rouses Portanchuple and Inveruglas, and
passes onward to Ardleish and Garabub. Each place
name, so grotesque and meaningless, sets loose a
phantom procession, stretching back into the mist of
the years, the wild picturesque romantic Arrochar of
by-gone days."
Gilchrist 27
CHAPTER II.
Gilchrist.
Earls of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
Alwyn, 2nd Earl. Alexander II., 1214-1239.
Malduin, 3rd Earl. Alexander III., 1249-1286.
GILCHRIST, the founder of the famHy of Mac
Farlane, was either the fourth or fifth son of
Alwyn, second Earl of Lennox.
From his brother, Earl Malduin, he obtained for his
patrimony, the lands and barony of Arrochar in the
upper part of the earldom of Lennox, as is shown by
the following extract from the original charter : —
" Terras de superiori Arrochar de Luss jacentes inter
rivulos qui vocantur Aldyvach et AldquchuHn ex una
parte, et rivulos qui vocantur Hernan Hinys et Trostan
ex altera parte, una cum insuHs de Elanvow, Elanvanow
Elanrouglas et Elaig."
Translated, this reads —
" The lands of Upper Arrochar down from Luss,
lying between the small brooks which are called
Aldyvach and Oldquchulin on one side and the small
brooks which are called Hernan Kings and Trostan on
the other side, together with the islands of Elanvow,
Elanvanow, Elanrouglas and Elaig."
This charter bears no date, but was granted in the
reign of King Alexander II., between 1225 and 1239,
probably in the first mentioned year, upon Malduin
becoming Earl of Lennox by the death of his father,
Alwyn.
The terms of this charter were subsequently con-
firmed in a similar document granted to John, the
28 History of Clan MacFarlane
seventh Chief of MacFarlane, on 13th February, 1420,
under the Great Seal of King James I. of Scotland.
Gilchrist, under the designation of " Brother of the
Earl," appears as witness to many of Earl Malduin's
charters granting lands to vassals. Of special interest
is one to Anselm MacBeth of Buchanan, of the Isle of
Clare- Inch in Loch Lomond, dated in 1225, and another
to William, son of Arthur de Galbraith,- of the two
carrucates of Baldernock, dated at Fintry in 1238.
Haco's devastating foray of 1263 probably occurred
in Gilchrist's time. Olaf , King of Man, with sixty ships,
appeared in Loch Long. The landing of the Norsemen
at the head of the loch was opposed by the Arrochar
people who suffered defeat. The battle was fought at
Ballyhennan, on some raised ground immediately to
the west of the railway embankment and a little below
the pubHc road. Above the village of Arrochar,
according to tradition, stood a stronghold in which the
Chief is said to have placed his family for security.
Further along the short valley, lying between Arrochar
and Tarbet, is the ancient burial ground of Ballyhennan,
a httle to the east of the battlefield. Here it is said the
clansmen slain in the battle were interred. Two sHght
mounds in the grounds of Arrochar House are believed
to mark the graves of slaughtered Danes.
After laying waste the country bordering Loch Long
(at Knockderry is or was a small fort supposed to be of
Danish origin), the invaders ran their vessels ashore at
the head of the loch. Unshipping their smaller boats,
they dragged these through the valley, and launched
them on Loch Lomond. This feat is described in the
Norwegian chronicle.
" The persevering shielded warriors of the throwers
of the whizzing spear drew their boats across the broad
isthmus. Our fearless troops, exactors of contributions,
with flaming brands, wasted the populous islands in the
lake, and the mansions around its winding bays."
Loch Lomond, from its retired situation, writes
Gilchrist 29
Irving, had been deemed little exposed to attack ; and
on some of the islands were numbers of people who,
not anticipating the extraordinary measures which the
persevering enterprise of the vikings enabled them to
carry into execution, had taken refuge in a retreat
which they esteemed perfectly secure.
To their terror and dismay, the flotilla of the
Norsemen was upon them before any plan of defence
could be adopted. Multitudes of the people were put
to the sword, and the country around the lake, then a
wealthy and populous district, studded with villages,
and fertile in agricultural produce, was reduced in a few
days to an arid smoking desert, strewn with the dead
bodies of the inhabitants, the smouldering fires of
plundered granges, and the blackened ruins of cottages
and castles.
From Loch Lomond one of the Norse chiefs, named
Allan, the brother of Prince Dugal, at the head of a
wild multitude, penetrated into the heart of Dum-
bartonshire and Stirlingshire with similar excesses.
But scarcely had the Norwegians secured their
plunder in their vessels in Loch Long, when the fleet was
attacked by a hurricane, which drove the whole of the
ships from their moorings, and reduced ten of them to
complete wrecks.
The storm raged for three days. During that time
the Scottish soldiery dominated the Norwegian fleet
from the heights above Loch Long and the Firth of
Clyde, Haco was finally defeated at the Battle of
Largs.
Alluding to the dragging of the boats from Arrochar
to Tarbet, Fraser writes, " At this neck of land it was
anciently the practise to drag boats across between
Loch Long and Loch Lomond. Hence the Gaelic
name, Turnbat, which signifies ' draw the boat.' "
30 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER HI.
Duncan — Second Chief.
1284- 1296.
Earls of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
Malcolm, 4th Earl, 1248-1292. Alexander III., 1249-1286.
Malcolm, 5th Earl, 1292-1333. Margaret, 1286-1290.
Interregnum, 1290-1292.
John Balliol, 1292-1296.
Sir Wm. Wallace, i 296-1 305.
GILCHRIST'S son and successor, Duncan, was
designated in the charters of his times,
" Duncanus filius Gilchrist or M' Gilchrist.
From his cousin, Malcolm, Fourth Earl of Lennox, he
received a charter of confirmation of the lands of
Arrochar, whereby the Earl ratifies and confirms :
" Donationem illam quam Malduinus avus meus
fecit Gilchrist fratri suo de terris de Superior! Arrochar
de Luss coram his testibus Domino Simoni Flandreuse,
Domino Duncano fiho Amelick, Domino Henrico de
Ventere Ponte et Malcolmo de Drumeth."
This reads : —
" That gift which my uncle Malduin made to his
brother Gilchrist of the lands of Upper Arrochar down
from Luss, in the presence of these witnesses : Master
Simon Flandreuse, Master Duncan, son of Amelick,
Master Henry of Ventere Ponte (lit. trans. Belly
Bridge) and Malcolm of Drumeth."
This charter, although undated (very usual amongst
the older charters), by the names of the witnesses,
appears to have been granted before 1284, As in the
Duncan — Second Chief 31
case of the original one granted to Gilchrist, it was
subsequently ratified under the Great Seal of King
James I. of Scotland.
Duncan appears as a witness to a charter granted by
Malcolm, Earl of Lennox, to Michael M'Kessan, of the
lands of Garchell and Ballat. He married Matilda,
daughter of the Fourth Earl.
It is stated that, after a gallant defence of the
national independence, Duncan with most of the great
men of his country, was compelled to submit to
Edward I. of England. He was one of the subscribers
to the bond of submission, called Ragman's Roll, anno
1296, Therein he is designated, Duncanus filius
Gilchrist de Levenax.
Duncan is stated to have died soon after that date.
32 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER IV.
Malduin — Third Chief.
1314-
Earls of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
Malcolm, 5th Earl, 1292-1333. Sir Wm. Wallace, 1296-1305.
Robert I., 1306-1329.
DUNCAN was succeeded by his son Malduin, who,
it is recorded, possessed all his father's lands,
and inherited his unflinching patriotism. In
the train of Malcolm, 5th Earl of Lennox, Malduin was
a faithful adherent of Robert the Bruce, succouring
and shielding his king after his memorable escape from
the Macdougalls of Lorn at Tyndrum in the winter of
1306.
It was after the battle at Methven, Bruce had taken
shelter in Donside, but finding himself in danger even
there, he crossed the mountains, meaning to seek
refuge in Kintyre. He had j ust reached Tjmdrum, at
the entrance to Glenfalloch, when he was waylaid by
the Macdougalls, and escaped with the utmost difQculty.
Then, by some strange mischance, he and his followers,
after descending Glenfalloch, found themselves on the
east side of Loch Lomond, whereas the road to Kintj^re
lay through Tarbet Glen on the western side. Barbour
tells the tale of how, when the hunted king and his
little company were wandering down the steep and
pathless banks, seeking for a means to cross, Douglas
at length found an old boat, which, with much patching
and mending, could ferry over two men at a time ; how,
all through the long night, the weary band stood and
waited, while the little boat went and came, till all were
Malduin — ^Third Chief 33
safely ferried across to the western shore. At Firkin,
about three miles south of Tarbet, there stands an
ancient yew, still known as Bruce's tree. Under the
shelter of this tree, Bruce stood in the midst of his
followers who had crossed, entertaining them with tales
of chivalry all that night, and wiling away the time,
while the frail boat was plying its j ourneys.
A little way up Glenloin is Bruce's cave, which is
large and commodious, and could hold about fifty men.
Here, runs the legend, the king and his followers found
shelter for the night before commencing their long
journey by Glencroe to Argyllshire and the safety of
Kintyre.
Bruce's adventures in the Arrochar country are thus
detailed by Barbour : —
" While hunting on the hills of Arrochar they were
joined by Malcolm, Earl of Lennox, who, under every
reverse, remained true to Bruce, and who, to protect
himself from the English, had been compelled to seek
shelter in the fortresses of his earldom. The Earl had
not seen the King since his defeat at Methven, and
having learned nothing concerning him, had been
apprehensive that, exposed as he was to so many
dangers, he had probably gone the way of all the earth.
At the very time that Bruce and his companions were
engaged in the chase, Lennox happened to be similarly
occupied in the neighbourhood. Having heard the
sound of the King's hunting horn, he was struck with
surprise, and on making inquiries, discovered who the
illustrious strangers were, upon which, along with his
attendants, he hastened to the spot whence the sound
proceeded, and found his beloved sovereign. The joy
of the monarch and of his faithful subject, who had
not seen each other for a protracted period, at this
unexpected meeting may be imagined. Lennox fell
upon his royal master's arms, and, big with emotion,
burst into tears, while Bruce, not less deeply moved,
tenderly clasped his arms around the Earl, and spoke
c
34 History of Clan MacFarlane
to him in encouraging and hopeful words. All the
lords of Bruce' s party present, gladdened at meeting
with Lennox and his friends, gave demonstration of
their warm affection towards them, the more so that
friends now met, who not only had not seen each other
for many a day, but who were even ignorant of each
other's safety. This natural burst of joy, mingled
with sadness, having subsided, the Earl did not fail to
observe the wretched plight to which his sovereign and
his followers were reduced ; and delighted that he had
now an opportunity of giving substantial proofs of his
loyalty, he quickly conducted them to a secure retreat,
where they were provided with an abundant repast,
such as they had not for a long time enjoyed. All
having partaken heartily of the repast, the King rose
up, and, with all the fervour of his heart, thanked the
Earl for his noble and generous hospitality, and
expressed the joy which this unexpected meeting had,
under the circumstances, caused to them aU. At the
request of Bruce, Lennox and his friends related their
perilous adventures and hardships in their efforts to
escape capture by the English. This relation touched
the chords of sympathy in Bruce's heart, and in his turn
he rehearsed the dangers, toils, and troubles, through
which he himself had passed since he had last seen
them. The tempest-tossed warriors, having thus
recounted their respective adventures, behoved now to
part ; for Arrochar, though the territories of the Earl
of Lennox and his cousins the MacFarlanes, could not
at that time have afforded a secure asylum for Bruce.
To have prolonged his stay in a district adjoining that
of Argyll, where were powerful families, all friends of
the Comyns, and all at the service of the Lord of Lorn,
who had complete possession of the roads and passes,
would have been dangerous, and, besides, many of the
Earl's vassals, in the hope of reward, were ready,
should opportunity offer, to violate their allegiance by
arresting the King and delivering him up to the
Malduin — ^Third Chief 35
English. Accordingly, Bruce having reminded the
Earl that time being urgent, he must hasten to Kintyre ;
and having entreated Lennox to follow speedily, with
such a number of men as he could collect in his earldom
on the spur of the moment, bade him farewell, and
pressed forward to Kintyre.
The magnanimous Earl made haste to j oin his royal
master, but in passing down the Firth of Clyde with
his men he was pursued by some galleys manned with
a hostile party of the district, from which he escaped
only by lightening the galley in which he was con-
ducted, to enable it to sail the faster."
As he had been partner in his adversities, the Chief
of MacFarlane was also partaker in the king's sub-
sequent successes. The clan, under the banner of
Lennox, was present at the Battle of Bannockburn,
and shared in the honour and glory of that great
achievement.
Robert I. granted a charter to Dougal MacFarlane
of the lands of Kindowie and Argushouche, etc., but
who this Dougal was we are unable to discover.
1186S0d
36 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER V.
Parlan — Fourth Chief.
1329.
Earls of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
Malcolm, 5th Earl, 1292-1333. David II., 1329-1371.
Donald, 6th Earl, 1333-13 73.
ALL that is known of the son of Malduin is that he
Hved in the reign of David IL, but his place
in this chronicle is of first importance, as he gave
a permanent surname to his house and his Clan.
The Gaehc Pharlan or Partholan means in EngUsh
Bartholomew. As we have seen, the second chief was
known as Duncan MacGilchrist (son of Gilchrist), and
presumably Malduin's surname was MacDuncan or
MacGilchrist, but from Pharlan's son onwards the
surname MacFarlane became fixed.
There are at least two later instances of a cadet
taking his father's Christian name as surname. The
sept of MacAUan is descended from the son of an Allan
MacFarlane, while the descendants of a chief's son,
referred to later, eschewed the clan name and described
themselves as Thomsons or Thomasons (sons of
Thomas). There are besides, many instances of the
rank and file of the Clan taking other names, or of
having these bestowed upon them, which accounts for
the numerous septs. Some of these changes were due
to the clansman's vocation, as Stalker, Miller, etc., but
others were adopted from motives of prudence, when
the Clan came into conflict with the authorities.
Mad an in presenting the family coat- of- arms, previous
to the addition of the well known demi- savage crest.
Parlan — Fourth Chief 37
spells the name above the device MacPharlan. To-day
we have such variants as MacFarlan, MacFarlane,
McFarlane, MacFarlin, and MacFarland, but they are
all " Jock Tamson's bairns."
Buchanan writes : — " Malduin's son and successor
was Partholan or Parian, from whose proper name the
family obtained the patronomical name of McPharlane
or Pharlansons, being, as it is asserted, for three
descents before the assumption of this, surnamed
McGilchrist. Some of these have retained that surname
(McGilchrist) as yet, who nevertheless own them-
selves to be cadets of the family of MacFarlanes."
Strangely enough, MacGilchrist is not now regarded
as a sept of MacFarlane, being attributed to the
Ogilvys and MacLachlans.
38 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER VI.
Malcolm — ^Fifth Chief.
1344-73-
Earls of Leunox. Scottish Riilen.
Donald, 6th Eari, 1333-1373. David II., 1329-1371.
Walter, 7th Earl, 1373-1385. Robert II., 1371-1390.
MALCOLM MACFARLANE, so designed in the
two following charters, succeeded his father,
Parian or Bartholomew, and obtained from his
cousin, Donald, Earl of Lennox, upon the resignation
of his father, Bartholomew, son of Malduin, a charter
of confirmation of the said lands and islands, in as
ample a manner as his predecessors held the same, as
the charter itself, yet extant, expressly bears ; —
" Adeo libere, quiete, et honorifice, in omnibus et
per omnia, sicut charta originalis facta per antecessores
nostros, antecessoribus dicti Malcolmi, plenius in se
proportat, etc. ..."
"Testatur, hiis testibus Malcolmo Fleming Comite
de Wigton, Joanne Steuart de Dernley, Patricio
Fleeming de Weddal, militibus, etc."
" As equally, as freely, amply, peacefully and
honourably in all points as in the charter granted by
our predecessors to the said Malcolm's ancestors, the
right devolves on him, etc. — Witnesses, Malcolm of
Wigton, John Stewart of Darnley, Patrick Fleming
of Weddal (soldiers)."
This charter seems, by the witnesses, to have been
granted about the year 1344.
He received also from the said Earl another charter
dated Bellach, May 4th, 1354, whereby the Earl freely
Malcolm — Fifth Chief 39
discharges him and his heirs of four marks of feu duty,
payable yearly out of the said lands, and that, " not
only for bygones, but even also for the time to come."
Malcolm married, but who the lady was, is not
known. By her he had a son, Duncan.
" We must here observe," writes the historian,
" that Donald, sixth Earl of Lennox, dying without
sons anno 1373, in him ended the whole male Hue of the
three elder sons of Alwyn, second Earl of Lennox,
whereby the representation of that noble family
devolved upon Malcolm MacFarlane, his undoubted
heir male (being grandson's grandson of Gilchrist,
fourth son of Earl Alwyn). But as the said Earl,
Donald, contrary to the ancient feudal system, left his
whole estate to his daughter. Countess Margaret, this
Malcolm MacFarlane declined claiming a dignity which
he thought he had not estate sufficient to support.
He died soon thereafter and was succeeded by his son,
Duncan."
40 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER Vn.
Duncan — Sixth Chief.
1395- 1406.
Earls of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
Walter, 7th Earl, 1373-1385. Robert II., 1371-1390.
Duncan, 8th Earl, 1385-1425. Robert III., 1390-1406.
James I., 1406-1437.
DUNCAN, promiscuously designated "of that Ilk,"
and of Arrochar, was the son of Malcolm. He
received from Duncan, 8th Earl of Lennox,
described as his cousin, a charter of confirmation of his
lands, which is dated at the Earl's " Mansion-house of
Inchmirin," loth June, 1395. In this charter Duncan
is designed " Dilectus et specialis noster Duncanus
MacFarlane filius et haeres quoncham Malcomi
MacFarlane domini de Arrochar." (Our chosen and
special Duncan MacFarlane, son and heir formerly of
Malcolm MacFarlane, Lord of Arrochar) . The ^\itnesses
to this charter are Walter Buchanan of that Ilk,
Humphrey Colquhoun, first of that surname to
be laird of Luss, Niel of Balnory, Duncan CampbeU
of Gaunan, and Malcolm McAlpine. The lands,
as described in this charter were, " between the
river Djniach and Aldanchwhyn on the one side,
and the rivers Aman, Innis and Trostane on the other
side, with the islands of Elanvow, Elanvanow, Elan-
do wglas and Elaig, in the Earldom of Lennox."
Duncan married Christian Campbell, a daughter of
Sir Colin Campbell of Lochow, ancestor of the Dukes of
Argyll. This marriage is attested by a hferent
-ri
.^:
•O.f ^-^- i<- ■-
—"-'^^^fJ-y^f-r-,^ — .AtiTA^v, ,\ -.= -i^-*^... .^v-
..,^J^.^.^ rf^^Y-^*^ ^t'*^'^'- i -
^U^.v
SPECIMEN OF A MACFARLANE CHARTER.
Duncan — Sixth Chief 41
charter granted by Duncan in favour of Christian,
of the lands of Keanlochlong, Inveriock, Glenluin and
Portcable, before the following witnesses, John
Campbell, Dean of Argyle, Duncan Campbell of Gaunan,
John McColman, etc. This charter is also dated 1395.
Besides his eldest son, John, who succeeded him,
Duncan had another son named Thomas, who founded
the family of Clachbuy, cadets of which are dispersed
through the Western Isles. From his proper name,
Thomas's descendants called themselves MacCauses
(Thomas's sons) or Thomson. These are included
amongst the septs of the Clan.
Duncan died in the reign of James I.
Another account, by the Rev. A. MacLean Sinclair,
LL.D., says Duncan's children were : — Duncan, Colin,
David, and a daughter.
42 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER VIII.
John — Seventh Chief.
1426.
Earls of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
Countess Isabella, 1425-1452. James I., 1406-1437.
James II., 1437-1460.
JOHN, son of Duncan, married Jean, daughter of
Sir Adam Mure, of Rowallan, and sister of
Elizabeth Mure, first wife of King Robert II.,
and is witness to a charter granted in the year 1426.
He died in the beginning of the reign of James II.
That practically nothing is chronicled relating to this
chief, may be due to the fact that the adherents of
Lennox and Albany were, like their lords, under the
king's displeasure. Duncan, the aged Earl of Lennox,
and Murdoch, Duke of Albany, his son-in-law, husband
to the Countess Isabel, with two of their sons were all
executed in 1425.
We have noted that the charters of Gilchrist and his
son Duncan were confirmed under the Great Seal of
James I. in 1420, but as that date is prior by four years
to the beginning of the king's actual reign, on his return
from exile in England, the presumption is that these
confirmations were the act of Albany as Regent, on
representations made by the Chief of MacFarlane
through the Earl of Lennox.
Duncan— Eighth Chief 43
CHAPTER IX.
Duncan — Eighth Chief.
1441.
Earls of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
Countess Isabella, 1425-1452. James II., 1437-1460.
James III., 1460-1488.
DUNCAN was served, and returned, heir to his
father on January i8th, 1441. He had two
sons, Walter, his heir, and John, progenitor of
the MacFarlanes of Kenmore, from whom are descended
the MacFarlanes of Muckroy, Auchinvenal More, and
Dunnamaninch in the North of Ireland. Auchinvenal
More is in Glen Fruin, and Muckroy in Argyllshire.
Kenmore is on Lochlomondside between Tarbet and
Inveruglas.
Duncan died in the reign of James III.
The battle of Stale, fought 1468, belongs either to
Duncan's period or that of his son, Walter. A stone
commemorating this clan fight was erected by Lt.-Col.
A. King Stewart of Acknacor, Appin, and bears this
inscription : —
A.D. 1468.
" Above this spot was fought the bloody
battle of Stale, in which many hundreds fell,
when the Stewarts and Maclarens, their AlUes,
in defence of Dugald, Chief of Appin, son of
John Stewart, Lord of Lorn and Innermeath,
defeated the combined forces of the
MacDougalls and MacFarlanes."
The scene of the battle lies just behind the monument
— a veritable shell crater, but on a more magnificent
scale than the modern ones. Stale is in Appin, Argyll,
and we are inclined to assume that some of the Argyll-
shire MacFarlanes were the allies of the MacDougalls
on this occasion, as Appin is " a far cry " from Arrochar.
44 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER X.
Walter — Ninth Chief,
1488.
Earls of Lejinox. Scottish Rulers.
Interregnum. James III., 1460-1488.
IN a charter under the Great Seal, from King
James HI., to the town of Dumbarton, "Walter
MacFarlane of that Ilk is designated " Domi
de Arrochar," etc. This charter is dated i486.
He married the only daughter of James, second
Lord Livingstone, and by her had two sons, Andrew,
who succeeded him, and Dugal, who founded the family
of Tullichintall (Tullich is in and around Glen Douglas),
from whom come the MacFarlanes of Finart, Gorton,
etc.
If the story of " The Piebald Horse " is to be accepted
as fact, Walter ended his career on the field of Sauchie-
burn, in 1488.
There seems no doubt that following the decay of
their parent house of Lennox, the Clan of MacFarlane,
either in Walter's time or that of his son, Andrew,
passed through a perilous period. The whole reign of
James III. was disturbed by the rebellions of the great
barons. Taking advantage of the weakness of the
king, the heirs general to the lands of Lennox, John
Stewart, Master of Darnley, and Sir John Haldane of
Gleneagles, descended respectively from the third and
second sisters of the Countess Isabella, advanced
pretensions also, to the title of Earl of Lennox.
Darnley, after the death of the Countess Isabella, in
1452, actually assumed the dignity without warrant.
Apparently the Chief of MacFarlane revived the claim
Walter — ^Ninth Chief 45
of heir male, and, according to the accounts of Brown
and Buchanan, " offered a strenuous opposition to the
pretentions of the feudal heir. Their resistance,
however, proved alike unsuccessful and disastrous.
The chief and all his family perished in defence of what
they believed to be their just rights. The Clan
suffered severely, and of those who survived the
struggle, the greater part took refuge in remote parts
of the country. Stewart of Darnley finally overcame
all opposition and succeeded to the Earldom of Lennox
in 1488.
The destruction of the Clan would now have been
inevitable, but for the opportune support given by a
gentleman of the Clan to the Darnley family. He had
married a daughter of John Stewart, who became
ninth Earl of Lennox, to whom his assistance had been
of great moment at a time of difificulty. He saved the
remnant of the Clan, and recovered the greater part of
their hereditary possessions.
Andrew, however, does not appear to have possessed
any other title to the chiefship than what he derived
from his position, and the circumstance of his being
the only person in a condition to afford them pro-
tection ; in fact, the Clan refused him the title of Chief,
which they appear to have considered incommunicable,
except in the right line ; and his son, Sir John
MacFarlane, accordingly, contented himself with
assuming the title of "Captain of the Clan."
We have quoted the passage in full, in order to
contradict the last paragraph. These historians have
manifestly based their assumptions on a belief that
Captain was a title inferior to, or differing from, that of
" Chief," whereas the two are interchangeable terms.
It is inconceivable that there existed a MacFarlane,
other than the chief, with sufl&cient power — that is to
say, in men — to be of any real service to the Master of
Darnley, and of such station as to command the hand
of his daughter in marriage. We prefer to rely upon
46 History of Clan MacFarlane
Douglas and Nisbet, who give this " gentleman of the
Clan " as the actual son of Walter, the ninth chief.
We suggest that the probabilities are, that when the
Clan made its submission to Darnley after the defeats
above recorded, the compact was cemented by the
marriage of the chief with one of Darnley' s daughters.
Such an arrangement was consonant with Darnley's
policy to win to his cause the principal men of the
Lennox against his rival Haldane, who, with the
exception of MacFarlane the undoubted heir male, had
certainly a prior claim, being senior to Darnley as a
cadet of the Lennox family.
In 1473 Darnley obtained a royal precept declaring
him heir, not only of half the lands, but of the title of
Earl of Lennox, and was finally invested in it, as
Buchanan states, in 1488.
Now, to reconstruct the situation upon the basis of
history. We know that Darnley supported the barons,
in whose possession was the prince, afterwards James
IV., against James III. If Walter MacFarlane, as
seems probable, supported the king, what is more
likely than that Darnley, already in possession of the
chief Lennox strongholds, Inch Murrin and Catter,
in retaliation, carried fire and sword into the Arrochar
country ? This theory also lends colour to the
probability of the death of Walter in James's crowning
catastrophe, Sauchieburn, as suggested bj'' the Piebald
Horse Legend. Afterwards Walter's son, Andrew, in
the changed conditions brought about by the death of
James III., would make peace with Darnley in the
manner suggested. The idea that a cadet assumed
the chieftaincy appears to have arisen from a later
Latin charter in which Sir John MacFarlane was styled
" capitaneus de Clan Pharlane." This, Skene, in his
" Highlanders of Scotland," took to mean " Captain of
Clan Farlane," but Dr. M'Bain, editor of the latest
edition of the work, points out that Capitaneus is
reaUv Latin for Chief,
Walter — Ninth Chief 47
Legend of " The Piebald Horse."
The following is the legend of " The Piebald Horse,"
as set down by the Rev. James Dewar, Minister of
Arrochar.
"In the reign of James HI. of Scotland, the Laird
of MacFarlane was slain at the battle of Sauchie-Burn,
near Stirling, in the year 1488, leaving a widow, who
was an Englishwoman, the mother of one son • he also
left a son by his first wife, who was the heir ; but this
son and heir had the misfortune to be proud, vain,
silly, and a little weak-minded. His half-brother was
possessed of a beautiful piebald horse, which had been
given to him by some of his mother's relations. The
elder brother was about to set out for Stirhng and was
very desirous of riding this horse, wishing, as the young
chief, to make a very grand appearance.
"The step-mother refused the loan of the animal,
alleging, as her reason for so doing, her fear that it
would not be safely brought back. Her denial only
made the young man the more persistent. Finally,
a written agreement was drawn up, and signed by the
heir, in which he promised to forfeit to his half-brother
his lands of Arrochar, in case the horse was not safely
returned.
"The step- mother bribed the groom in attendance to
poison the horse on the second day from home, and the
estate accordingly went to the younger brother.
The Clan refused to receive the latter as their chief,
but combined to acknowledge the elder brother as
such, though not possessed of the lands of Arrochar.
Some years later, by special Act of Parliament, these
lands were restored to the rightful heir.
"A ruined gable end on TuUich Hill, above Arrochar,
was said to have been the home of the dispossessed
heir.
"Another account states that the stepmother caused
the stuffing of the saddle to be saturated with poison,
which being absorbed by the horse, proved fatal to it.
48 History of Clan MacFarlane
" In the Lennox, certain MacFarlanes for long were
referred to as ' Sliochd-an-eich-bhain,' ' The followers
of the piebald horse,' or ' The race of the pyat horse
that never was wise,' in contradistinction to Clann-an-
Oighre, ' The followers of the heir.' The names
MacNuyer, MacNair and MacNeur are said to have
had their origin in Clann an Oighre. Walter
MacFarlane, 20th chief, the famous antiquary says,
MacNair means 'illegitimate,' but we construe this
in the sense of 'pretender' to the chieftainship."
CHAPTER XL
Andrew — ^Tenth Chief.
1488- 1493.
Earls of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
John (Stewart of Darnley). James IV., 1488-1513.
gth Earl, 1488-1494.
AS stated in the last chapter, Andrew married a
daughter of John Stewart of Darnley, after-
wards 9th Earl of Lennox, and it may be noted
here that following this event the MacFarlanes were as
loyal to their new overlords as they had been faithful
to their blood relations, the ancient earls.
Andrew appears as a witness in a charter to the
burgh of Dumbarton in 1493.
Sir John — Eleventh Chief 49
CHAPTER XII.
Sir John — Eleventh Chief,
1514-
Earls of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
Matthew, loth Earl, 1494-1513. James IV., 1488-1513,
SIR JOHN MACFARLANE was the son of Andrew,
and therefore nephew of his contemporary,
Matthew, loth Earl of Lennox.
The honour of knighthood was bestowed upon him
by James IV.
In a charter which he granted to one William
MacFarlane of the lands of Garrowstuck, Sir John is
designated : —
" Honorabilis, Sir Johannes Macfarlane dominus
ej usd miles capitaneus de Clan Pharlane, filius Andreae,
etc," which is : —
" The honourable Sir John MacFarlane, lord of the
same, soldier, captain of Clan Pharlane, son of Andrew,
etc."
This charter is the occasion of the misconception,
already dealt with, in respect to Sir John being merely
" Captain of the Clan," and not Chief. Matthew, the
earl, and Sir John married sisters, daughters of James,
Lord Hamilton, and nieces of James III. By his wife,
whose name is not given. Sir John had two sons,
Andrew, his heir, and Robert, who founded the branch
of " Inversnait." Sir John married a second time, a
daughter of Herbert, Lord Herries, by whom he had a
son, Walter of Ardleish. Walter was the progenitor
of the MacFarlanes of Gartartan and Ballaggan.
Thirdly, Sir John married Lady Helen Stewart,
50 History of Clan MacFarlane
daughter of John, third Earl of Athole, by whom he
had a son, John, and a daughter, Grizel.
" Sir John," says the chronicler, " was a man of
spirit and resolution, and accompanied King James IV.
to the fatal field of Flodden, 15 14, where he lost his
life fighting gallantly for king and country."
John evidently had a fifth son, named Duncan,
In 1545, at Irvine, there was a bond of Manrent
(feudal service), entered into by " Duncan, uncle to the
laird of MacFarlane " to Hugh MacMaster of EgHnton,
At this date Duncan, the son of Andrew, Sir John's
grandson, was laird of Arrochar. The first mentioned
Duncan was, therefore, a brother of Andrew, the
I2th Chief, and a younger son of Sir John. This is
confirmed in a Colquhoun complaint of 21st December,
1544, against Duncan MacFarlane of Arrochar, Andrew
MacFarlane, Robert MacFarlane and Duncan Mac-
Farlane, his fader, brether, i.e., his father and father's
brothers.
Andrew — ^Twelfth Chief 51
CHAPTER XIII.
Andrew — Twelfth Chief.
1514-1544.
Earls of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
John, nth Earl, 1513-1526. James V., 1513-1542.
Matthew^ 12th Earl, 1526-1571. Mary, 1542-1567.
ANDREW, known as " Andrew the Wizard,"
succeeded his father. Sir John. He gained his
soubriquet on account of certain tricks of
legerdemain, acquired in his travels abroad with one of
the MacDonnells of Keppoch. In the records of the
Keppoch family there is an autograph letter of a Miss
Josephine MacDonnell, written from London, in which
" one of the MacFarlanes of Luss " is frequently
mentioned as being the friend and college companion
of one of the Chiefs of Keppoch, known as Alastair-nan-
cleas. They were educated together at Rome, and
learned many sleight of hand tricks, with which they
astonished and frightened the country people, who
ascribed these things to witchcraft. One of Keppoch's
daughters married a MacFarlane of Luss, who Uved
at the time of the above Alastair-nan-cleas,
Andrew frequented the Court of James V. at Holy-
rood, and married Lady Margaret Cunningham, who
was a daughter, either of William, Earl of Glencairn,
Lord High Treasurer of Scotland, or Cuthbert, third
Earl of Glencairn — the authorities differ. They had
two sons, Duncan, his successor, and George of Merkinch.
From George are descended the MacFarlans of Kirkton
in the parish of Campsie, StirHngshire, now known as
52 History of Clan MacFarlane
the Ballancleroch branch. George settled in the north,
where his posterity continued to reside, until they
bought the lands of Kirkton, when they returned to
be near their kinsmen.
In the biography of Sir Walter Scott is mentioned a
John MacFarlane of this family, who was a friend and
companion of the great Shenachie of the Highlands.
" Andrew, the Wizard," died in the beginning of the
reign of Queen Mary, about 1544, and was an active
supporter of the Regent Lennox during the Queen's
chUdhood.
The Privy Seal Register of January 30th, 1527,
contains the echo of a Buchanan raid upon the Mac-
Farlanes. This is a " Respitt " to Patrick Buchanan
and twelve others, mostly of the same name, for
" their treasonable art, part, and assistance, given by
them to George and Robert Buchanan and others,
their accomplices, for the treasonable raising of fire in
the lands of Arrochar, pertaining to MacFarlane ; and
for the cruel slaughter of John Laurenceson and certain
others, being with him in his company, and for the reiff ,
spoiling, and harrying of the said town of Fowghe, that
same time ; for XIX. years."
As we have indicated, the MacFarlane chiefs became
zealous supporters of the Lennox Earls. It was
probably in this character that, shortly after Flodden,
the Clan attacked the castle of Boturick, on the south
shore of Loch Lomond, which was part of the ancient
property of the earldom that had fallen to the share of
Haldane of Gleneagles. The incident is narrated in Sir
David Lindsay's well known poem, " Squyer Mel drum."
The laird of Gleneagles had fallen at Flodden, and the
Squyer was making love to his widow in Strathearn,
when news came that her castle of Boturick was being
attacked by the MacFarlanes. Forthwith the valiant
Squyer brought his forces together and rode to the
rescue, driving off the attackers, and securing the fair
lady's property.
t b SB ' ' R- t:me. t t
i4a---^:^..^.-^^qJ,-_^^.
52 History of Clan MacFarlane
the Ballancleroch branch. George settled in the north,
where his posterity continued to reside, until they
bought the lands of Kirkton, when they returned to
be near their kinsmen.
In the biography of Sir Walter Scott is mentioned a
John MacFarlane of this family, who was a friend and
companion of the great Shenachie of the Highlands.
" Andrew, the Wizard," died in the beginning of the
reign of Queen Mary, about 1544, and was an active
supporter of the Regent Lennox during the Queen's
childhood.
The Privy Seal Register of January 30th, 1527,
contains the echo of a Buchanan raid upon the Mac-
Farlanes. This is a " Respitt " to Patrick Buchanan
and twelve others, mostly of the same name, for
" their treasonable art, part, and assistance, given by
them to George and Robert Buchanan and others,
their accomplices, for the treasonable raising of fire in
the lands of Arrochar, pertaining to MacFarlane ; and
for the cruel slaughter of John Laurenceson and certain
others, being with him in his company, and for the reiff ,
spoiling, and harrying of the said town of Fowghe, that
same time ; for XIX. years."
As we have indicated, the MacFarlane chiefs became
zealous supporters of the Lennox Earls. It was
probably in this character that, shortly after Flodden,
the Clan attacked the castle of Boturick, on the south
shore of Loch Lomond, which was part of the ancient
property of the earldom that had fallen to the share of
Haldane of Gleneagles. The incident is narrated in Sir
David Lindsay's well known poem, " Squyer Meldrum."
The laird of Gleneagles had fallen at Flodden, and the
Squyer was making love to his widow in Strathearn,
when news came that her castle of Boturick was being
attacked by the MacFarlanes. Forthwith the vahant
Squyer brought his forces together and rode to the
rescue, driving off the attackers, and securing the fair
lady's property.
YHOGAIL nam bo THEID SINN.
f?^'^f^j'^^j^,T/f'^^^:^^^ K'^ 'J- ^'^Trf ^
/.../a_
^44M.^J^f^lAi4Mfe^.^^q^^
41 ,? f-^/s-Zf .\^if.\
.p m^^j^ i ^^mm^^ ' ^:^iM m
/ H ' _
," g t f / a"t' >
,.s ; './.a sL
^ jf^r.
■ a ;
3/f-?-
A
..V^v^i^,
i;--^*^
ll^
-M^
-^^^^
HHpfiSBB^L^ bM^^SSSE&H ^^£^S^^^^ ^^hE^SSShJ
Thogail nam bo then
Andrew — Twelfth Chief 53
Andrew, " the Wizard," is the reputed composer of
the famous clan Pibroch, " Thogail nam Bo."
In 15 1 8 .Sir John Colquhoun of Luss, his son, Walter,
and his brother, Walter, were witnesses to a protest
of a person named MacFarlane.
A curious incident is related in Pitcairn's Criminal
Trials, under date i6th August, 1536 : — " Walter
MacFarlane (who may have been Walter of Ardleish,
third son of Sir John, the nth chief, and brother to
Andrew, the Wizard), found John Napier of Kilma-
hew, and John Buntyn of Ardoch, as cautioners for
his entry at the next Justice-aire of Dumbarton, to
underly the law for art and part of convocation of the
lieges in great numbers, in warlike manner, and
besetting the way of Margaret Cunningham, widow
(second wife) of the late Sir John Colquhoun of Luss,
and David Farneley of Colmistoune, being for the time
in her company, for their slaughter and for other
crimes."
How this matter ended is not known, as the records
of the proceedings of Dumbarton Justice- aires at that
period have not been preserved. We are, however,
relieved to know that Lady Colquhoun was not amongst
the slaughtered, for she lived to marry again.
MacLeod, in his History of Dumbarton, tells u.s
something of Andrew's powers in the capacity of
Wizard : —
" The chief of the Clan Farlane, when occasion called
for it, could use his supposed satanic powers with
effect. From his position by inheritance, marnage,
and personal properties, he was often at court
attending upon the king, and while riding homewards,
after one of these visits to Linlithgow, he passed
Muillionn Pharaig (Patrick Mill). It was a hot
harvest day when he did so, and the miller and his men
and maidens were busy reaping a field by the wayside
convenient to, and east of, the mill. The chief
courteously accosted the miller, and asked a drink for
54 History of Clan MacFarlane
himself and his horse, which the grinder of oats rudely
refused. Parched with thirst, very weary, and in no
amiable mood, the MacFarlane continued his j ourney
westward, and no sooner had he passed the mill, on
which he cast a spell, than its machinery got into
motion, seemingly of its own accord. The sound of the
grinding caught the miller's ear, and he ordered one of
his female reapers to go and stop it. She obeyed so
far, but no sooner had she crossed the threshold of the
mill than she kilted up her petticoats and set to the
dancing, shouting all the while, ' Sud e, suas e !
dh'iarr Macpharlain deoch 's cha d'fhuair se e ! ' ' Up
with the dance ! MacFarlane sought a drink and did
not get it ! ' A second, a third, and other reaper
maidens were sent with like result, and the miller, who
ultimately put in an appearance at the miU, beheld
with consternation quite a host of kilted females,
dancing as if they were mad, and shouting lustily,
' Sud e, suas e! dh'iarr Macpharlain deoch 's
cha d'fhuair se e ! ' The frightened miller sent a man
in hot haste after MacFarlane to implore him to return,
have his refreshments, and remove the spell he had cast
upon the reapers, but he resolutely refused. However,
he said to the messenger, ' Go, tell the inhospitable
miller to search in the thatch above the mill door, and
he will find there a rowan switch, which he is to throw
into the mill lade, and that being done, the spell will be
removed, and the women will give up their dancing and
shouting, and return to their work.'
"These instructions being obeyed to the letter, the
women folk were speedily disenchanted, and slowly
retm-ned to their labours in the field. Such is the
story — partly historical, partly legendary — which has
been handed down to our day ; and many others of
a Hke nature, relating to the wizard chief, might be
added thereto, but space forbids."
Duncan — ^Thirteenth Chief 55
CHAPTER XIV.
Duncan — Thirteenth Chief.
1544- 1547.
Earls of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
Matthew. 12th Earl, 1526-1571. Mary, 1542-1567.
DUNCAN, son of Andrew " the Wizard," was a
gallant warrior, and took his full share in the
martial events of his times. By reason of his
near kinship both to Lennox and Glencairn, he
frequently assisted them, even to the endangering of
his life and fortune.
When Lennox, the father of Henry Darnley, the
husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, took up arms in 1544
to oppose the Regent Arran and the catholic party,
Duncan, with three hundred men of his surname,
joined his forces, and was present at, for them, the
disastrous fight of the Butts of Glasgow Muir. Duncan
suffered forfeiture, but, by the intercession of his friends,
was afterwards restored, and obtained a remission
under the Privy Seal. It is stated that a missive was
addressed to Lord Ogilvie, Warden of the West,
authorising him to allow Duncan MacFarlane of that
Ilk to be put in " fre-ward," as he thought expedient,
provided the said Duncan found caution to the amount
of £1,000 Scots. The Books of Adjournal bear that the
caution was forthcoming two days afterwards ; the
cautioners being Sir John Campbell of Lundy, Sir John
CampbeU of Calder, John Campbell of Glen Farquhar,
Colin Campbell of Ardkynglass, James Campbell of
Lawaries, Archibald Campbell of Glen Lyon, and Arthur
Campbell of Ardgarthnay.
56 History of Clan MacFarlane
The loss of the battle of Glasgow Muir compelled
Lennox to withdraw into England, where, having
married Lady Margaret Douglas, daughter of the widow
of James V. and the Earl of Angus, and so niece of
Henry VIIL, the Earl secured an English force to
assist him, and marched north to resume his
campaign.
Although not daring to appear in person after his
recent forfeiture and acquittal, Dimcan was, neverthe-
less, wholeheartedly in the Earl's cause, and sent to his
aid a hundred and forty well armed men under the
command of his uncle, Walter MacFarlane, variously
styled as of Tarbet and Ardleish. This detachment of
the Clan proved themselves very serviceable in that
expedition in the capacity of light troops to the main
army. They took part in the taking of the islands of
Bute and Arran, the burning of the castles of Rothesay
and Dunoon, and in the defeat of the Earl of Argyle.
Writing of these exploits, Ralph Hollinshed in his
History of Scotland, says : — " The Earl had with him
Walter MacFarlane of Tarbet and seven score men of
the head of Lennox that spoke both ' Irishe ' (Gaelic)
and the English- Scottish tongues ; light footmen,
well armed in shirts of mail and two-handed swords,
which, being joined with the English archers and
' shotte,' did much available service in the ' streyghts,
marishes, and mountayne countries.' "
In an attempt in August to capture the Castle of
Dumbarton, however, Lennox and Glencairn were
again defeated.
A warrant of .similar indulgence to that of his chief,
was however granted to Walter MacFarlane, but on
condition of his finding sureties to an amount, this
time, of £3,000 Scots. Fortunately cautioners were
forthcoming as in the former case, in Andrew, Lord
Evandale, Henry, Lord Methven, and Sir John
Hamilton of Finnart.
Undeterred by these defeats and the consequent
Duncan — Thirteenth Chief 57
penalties, four months later, in December of 1544, we
find Duncan again on the warpath, despoiling his
immediate Roman Catholic enemies in Dumbarton-
shire. The far-reaching extent of this invasion, and
the alarm it caused to the authorities, is plainly revealed
in a complaint and representation made to the
Government by the Laird of Luss, contained in letters
issued under the signet of Queen Mary, and dated
2ist December, 1544.
" That Duncan MacFarlane of Arrochar, Andrew
MacFarlane, Robert MacFarlane, and Duncan Mac-
Farlane, his fader, brether (father and father's brothers).
Ewer Campbell of Strachur, James Stewart, son to
Walter Stev/art in Balquidder, and certain others,
great thieves, limmers, robbers, common sorners upon
our lieges, throatcutters, murderers, slayers of men,
women, and children (the usual general indictment),
and their accomplices, to the number of six hundred
men, and more, came to the said John's lands and place
of Rossdhu, and lands and barony of Luss, and there
cruelly slew and murdered nine of his poor tenants in
their beds, and harried his whole country, both himself
and his poor men, as well as all in sight, goods within
house, as of black cattle, sheep, and other beasts, late
in the month of December, and daily pursued in plain
reiff and sorning upon the poor lieges of our realm, and
are gathered to them many thieves and limmers
intending to harry the whole country to Glasgow and
Stirling, if they be not resisted, in high contempt of
our authority and law."
These letters, under the signet, were addressed to the
Sheriffs of Argyll, Dumbarton, Renfrew and Stirling,
commanding them to summon aU the lieges in these
shires to muster and unite with John Colquhoun of
Luss, and others who might assist him in resisting,
apprehending, and bringing to punishment, the per-
petrators of these outrages. After narrating the facts
already stated, the letters proceed : — " Our will is
58 History of Clan MacFarlane
therefore, and we charge you straitly and command
that, incontinently, these our letters pass to the market
crosses of our burghs of the said shires, and other
places needful, and that there be open proclamation,
command, and charge, to all and sundry of our lieges
within the bounds of our said sheriffdoms, to rise and
come together, for resisting of the said thieves and
robbers, to such parties as they shall happen to come
upon, and that they take active part with the said
John, or any other gentleman that rises for resisting of
the said thieves and hmmers, and take and apprehend
them, and bring them to our justice to be punished for
their demerits in conformity with our law." Her
Majesty's letters further provided that, should any of
the said thieves be slain in the attempt to apprehend
them, no crime would attach to the parties killing them,
and that all persons, who should fail to obey the pro-
clamation, would be held as taking part with the said
thieves and robbers, and would be punished accordingly.
All this ado, although whole counties were sum-
moned to resist the MacFarlanes, apparently resulted
in nothing. As a matter of fact, the power of the
Crown was at that time very feeble. By the com-
bination of feudal lairds and their vassals, the
administration of justice was greatly obstructed, and
often rendered impossible.
Duncan was a staunch supporter of the Reformation.
Indeed, the ancient chronicler, Buchanan of Auchmar,
tells that Duncan Macfarlane of Arrochar was the
" first man of any importance in Scotland to make an
open profession of the Christian religion " — meaning,
of course, the reformed faith.
Although Chief of the Clan for a matter of only three
years, his period was one of constant warlike activity.
In 1547, about five months before his gallant death,
Duncan and fifty-eight of his people were summoned
to the justiciary court at Dumbarton, to answer a
charge of attacking Sir Patrick Maxwell in his house at
Duncan — Thirteenth Chief 59
Newark, and of carrjdng away 280 cattle, 80 sheep,
24 goats, 20 horses, 80 stones of cheese, 40 bolls of
barley, and some articles of household furniture.
There is no record to show that the Chief ever
appeared to answer the charge, but his son and heir,
Andrew MacFarlane, woiild seem to have made
restitution by marrying Sir Patrick Maxwell's daughter ;
and thus, comments the Rev. H. S. Winchester, the
whole affair resolved itself into a rather rough and
ready taking of the marriage portion beforehand.
As was seen in the last chapter, Walter of Ardleish
had his own grievances against the Colquhouns, for
in the previous year, in the month of February, Robert
Dennistoun of Colgrain, Walter MacFarlane of Ardleish,
Andrew MacFarlane his son and apparent heir, and
others, their accomplices, carried away from the
Nether and Middle Mains of Luss, sixteen cows which
belonged to Sir John Colquhoun of Luss, the price of
each being seven merks. Clearly Colquhoun did not
recover his " kye," for on 13th February, 1550, or
seven years later, and three years after Walter's death,
the aggrieved party obtained letters of diligence under
the signet of Queen Mary in a process of spulzie,
against the depredators, requiring them to appear
before the Lords of Council at Edinburgh, on the i6th
of March following, to answer for the wrongous,
violent, and masterful spoliation by themselves, their
servants and accomphces in their names, and the
away-taking from the Nether and Middle Mains of
Luss, " sixteen tydie kye," the property of Sir John,
which they refused to restore, or to give him the value
in money."
Duncan met a soldier's death. He, Walter of
Ardleish, and a great number of the Clan, gave their
lives for Scotland on the Black Saturday of Pinkie,
loth September, 1547. ^^ this, their final stage, these
two turbulent spirits fought for Queen Mary.
Duncan was twice married, and both marriages took
6o History of Clan MacFarlane
place during his father's Hfetime. His first wife,
Isabel Stewart, daughter of Andrew, Lord Ochiltree,
died childless. He afterwards married Catherine Anne
Colquhoun, fourth daughter of Sir John Colquhoun of
Luss (nth Chief) and Margaret Stewart, who was a
daughter of Sir John Stewart, the first DarnleyEarl of
Lennox. The bridegroom was thus a great-great-
grandson and the bride a grand- daughter of the powerful
Darnley. The marriage took place, not, as might be
supposed, during the lifetime of her father, nor yet
during the reign at Rossdhu of Humphrey, her eldest
brother, but in the time of her nephew. Sir John
Colquhoun, who was Chief of that Clan from 1538 to
1574. On 17th July, 1543, Duncan MacFarlane and
Catherine Colquhoun, his spouse, were invested in
liferent in the lands of Arrochar, which heritably
belonged to Andrew (Duncan's father) and which he
had resigned into the hands of Matthew, Earl of Lennox,
the superior, for new investment. The original
instrument of Sasine is preserved at Rossdhu, and
details the lands as follows: — "Jarbolze, Ardlewe,
Jarrowstuk, Stukindryne, Ardmurlik, Portcapill, Inner-
quhilling, Blairrannyth, and Stronfyne, extending
annually to ten pounds of lands of old extent in the
earldom of Lennox and shire of Dumbarton. The
witnesses were Robert MacFarlane, Patrick Mac-
Farlane, John MacFarlane Robertson, Donald Macneill,
Thomas Macneill, Dowgall Mackcowll, John M'Kynne,
Murdoch Makcalpene, and Sir James Lang, Chaplain,
and others."
Duncan and Catherine had two sons, Andrew and
Duncan, As his father was killed in 1547, the elder
could only have been some three years of age when he
succeeded to the headship of the Clan, and twenty-
four when he took part in the battle of Langside.
Reference to the younger son, Duncan, will be found
in the next chapter in regard to the Mill of Nab affair,
in 1578.
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 6i
CHAPTER XV.
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief.
1547- 1612.
F.ayls of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
Matthew, 12th Earl, 1526-1571. Mary, 1542-1567.
Henry Darnley (King Consort James VI., 1567-1625.
of Scotland), 1545-1567.
Robert, 14th Earl, 1571 .
Charles, i5tli Earl, 1579.
Dukes of Lennox,
EsME, ist Duke, 1581-1583.
LuDovic, 2nd Duke, 1583-1624.
ANDREW became chief as we have shown in 1547,
at the very early age of three years. The first
record we have of his activities is in 1560, when
he was 16. On 20th July of that year he was witness
to a procuratory, dated 20th July, 1560, by Sir
Humphrey Colquhoun, rector or prebendary of Kil-
patrick-Juxta, in the diocese of Glasgow, for resigning
in his name all the rights and fruits of the said rectory
into the hands of the most reverend father in Christ,
Lord James, Archbishop of Glasgow, or his vicar-
general, having power to that effect, as into the hands
of the true and undoubted patron, in favour of Sir
James Lang, chaplain of the diocese of Glasgow,
In a writ dated 156 — , he became a cautioner for Sir
John Colquhoun of Luss, for such sums of money as the
Lords of Session should modify to be paid to his
Majesty and to Humphrey Cunningham, in case the
said John should not be able to disprove a pretended
obligation produced, or to be produced, by the said
62 History of Clan MacFarlane
Humphrey against the said John, alleged to be made
by his " grandschir."
Next Andrew appears as a magistrate.
On i8th March, 1564, ten individuals, Houston by
name, mostly Dumbarton men, were tried in Edin-
burgh, and, (with one exception), found guilty of
" unlawfully convening the Heges," and also of
intending to slaughter Andrew Hamilton of Cochno.
" It is not improbable," says Irving, " that the attack
was made under colour of law, as Hamilton was an
adherent of Queen Mary, and with his son, John, was
amongst those outlawed after the battle of Langside."
The " Assize " on the Houstons included Andrew
MacFarlane of Arrochar, with other Lennox notables,
John Colquhoun of Luss, Robert Colquhoun of Cam-
stradden, William Smollett, burgess of Dumbarton,
and Walter Buchanan of DrumakiU.
The chief was now twenty years of age.
Before or about this date Andrew married. His
wife was Agnes, daughter of Sir Patrick Maxwell of
Newark, by whom he had three sons and one daughter,
John, who succeeded him, George, who received for
his patrimony the Mains of Kilmaronock (the castle
stiU stands), but left no succession, Humphrey of
Brackearn, and Elizabeth, who married Malcolm
MacFarlane of Gartartan.
Apparently Andrew had another daughter, as
" Duncan of Lochaber " seventeenth (according to
Douglas) chief of McGregor, married for his second
wife a daughter of MacFarlane of that Ilk. The
second son of that lady, Robert, was old enough to be
in command of a division at the battle of Glen Fruin in
1603, so his mother must have been born forty years
before, which would make her birth year 1563 or earlier.
Her father would then be eighteen to twenty, and this
rather suggests that she was Andrew's eldest child.
This Robert McGregor was a worthy son of his warlike
grandfather. He is stated to have been a man of rare
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 63
martial genius. He laid the plan of attacking the
Colquhouns at the famous battle of Glen Fruin, and
was given command of a division. To his gallant
conduct the success of the day is chiefly attributed,
and his sword was long honourably preserved.
Battle of Langside.
As bold, active, and adventurous as his sire, write
the historians, Andrew engaged in the civil wars of the
period. A zealous promoter of the Reformation, he
was one of the first in the Highlands, of any note, to
make open profession of the Protestant rehgion, and
he " went into all the measures of the Earl of Moray
against Queen Mary."
The majority of historians are agreed that it was
owing chiefly to the assistance given by the Mac-
Farlanes that Moray succeeded in defeating the Queen's
forces at the battle of Langside, 13th May, 1568. If
no great personal advantage accrued therefrom,
Andrew, at least, wrote his name indelibly upon the
pages of history.
According to a contemporary writer, the battle
commenced at nine o'clock in the morning. The
Queen's vanguard charged along the Bus-an-'aik
(bush and oak) Road to that part of the field where
Queen's Park Public School is now situated, and up the
existing Lang Loan to the village. There they
encountered the Regent's spearmen, while his Hag-
butters poured a steady fire on the advancing enemy.
The fight which ensued was characteristic of the
period. The Regent's left wing was brought up,
and by a flank movement charged the Queen's van-
guard, striking the men in their " flankes and faces,"
and forcing them to turn back after long fighting
and pushing and swaying to and fro, as they were
locked together in the deadly struggle. " God and
the Queen" resounded from one party ; " God and
the King" thundered from the other. The fresh
64 History of Clan MacFarlane
attack confused the column of the assailants, and
the dark, dense, and united line of helmets was
broken, and hurled in disorder back upon Clincart
Hill. In vain did the leaders call upon their followers.
They were slain, felled to the earth, and hurried
backwards by the mingled tide of flight and pursuit.
A wild debacle ensued as the now demorahsed Queen's
troops were swept down the slopes. From first to
last the battle only lasted three-quarters of an hour.
Yet in that brief time three hundred men were
slaughtered !
Hollinshed's account of the affair reads : —
" In this battle the valiance of a Highland gentle-
man named MacFarlane stood the Regent's part in
great stead, for in the hottest brunt of the fight he
came in with three hundred of his friends and
countrymen, and so manfully gave in upon the Queen's
people that he was a great cause of disordering them.
This MacFarlane had been lately before condemned to
die for some outrage by him committed, and obtaining
pardon through the suite of the Countess of Moray,
he recompensed that clemency by this piece of service
now at this battle."
Nisbet's account enlarges Hollinshed's: —
" In defence of which (his rehgion) he (Andrew)
made several signal appearances, particularly at the
famous battle of Langside, fought on May loth, 1568,
at which battle the Earl of Murray, who was then
Regent, being almost overpowered by the number of
Queen Mary's forces, and his army ready to give way,
the Laird of MacFarlane came in very seasonably to his
assistance with a considerable supply of three hundred
men, with whom he attacked the right wing of the
Queen's army so furiously that they were immediately
obliged to quit their ground, and betake themselves to
their heels, and were soon followed by the rest of the
army He took at the battle three of Queen
Mary's standards which were for a long time preserved
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 65
in the family. (Also said to have been in Glasgow
Cathedral. — Ed.). Neither was the Regent insensible
of the service the Laird of MacFarlane did him at the
battle ; for, amongst other rewards, he gave him that
honourable crest and motto, which is still enj oyed by
his posterity and recorded in the Lyon Register, viz.,
a demi- savage, proper, holding in his dexter hand a
sheaf of arrows, and pointing with his sinister to an
imperial crown, or ■ motto : ' This I'll Defend ' ; and
ever since that time the family have been in use to
carry for supporters as above ; as is to be seen on the
castle of Island Vow, built in the year 1577, by the
said Andrew."
The battle is thus described by Sir Walter Scott : —
" They met with equal courage, and encountered
with levelled lances, striving like contending bulls,
which should bear the other down. The spears of the
front ranks were so fastened into each other's armour
that the staves crossed like a sort of grating on which
lay daggers, pistols and other weapons, used as
missiles, which the contending parties had thrown at
each other.
" While they were thus locked in an embrace of
steel with the Queen's archers pouring a deadly fire
into the Regent's men, Andrew MacFarlane threw
himself into the fray (with, according to Petrie's Church
History, five hundred of his own name and dependents)
flanking, gaUing and finally putting the archers to
flight."
Browne and M'lan state that " The MacFarlanes
were acknowledged by all to be the chief instrument of
obtaining that glorious victory " ■ and also that the
Clan captured three of Queen Mary's standards,
" which were long preserved in the family."
Robert MacFarlane of Brooklyn, New York, writing
in the Scottish American Journal, under date, February
9th, 1878, states that, " A street in old Rutherglen
called the Lennox Road is the path which the
66 History of Clan MacFarlane
MacFarlanes took to cut off the fugitives of Queen
Mary's army." As we have said, most of the historians
are agreed that the MacFarlanes performed a signal
service on this occasion, but that we may not be
accused of partiality, we give the following quotation
from a volume edited by Mr. Ludovic Mann, issued in
Glasgow, in 1918 : —
" A chief of the MacFarlanes, who, scarcely twenty
days before the battle, had been condemned to die,
had been pardoned by the Countess of Moray. As
already indicated, he gathered about 200 of his
countrymen, and joined the Regent's army, being
attached, apparently, to the east battalion of the
Regent's right wing. But during the prolonged
tug-of-war there the MacFarlanes wavered. Lord
Lindsay, who stood nearest to them, exclaimed that he
could fill their places better, and they might go.
The freebooting Highlanders, however, rallied when
they saw that the Regent's side was winning, returned
to the field, pursued the Queen's men, and executed
much slaughter."
Why Mr. Mann selected this passage and ignored all
the records to the credit of the Clan is between him
and his sense of right.
It has been regarded as remarkable that the
MacFarlanes should have been found ranged under the
banner of the Earl of Moray, when almost all the
Highland chiefs espoused the cause of the unfortunate
Mary, but as we have seen, Andrew was a zealous
Protestant. In those times this would have been a
sufficient cause, but he was also bound by ties of
loyalty to Lennox, whose heir, Henry Darnley, the
king consort, had been foully murdered, as many
believed, by Mary's connivance, or at least her passive
acquiescence. Even as regards his natural allegiance
to the House of Stewart, had the matter rested on that
alone, the chief might well have been in a difficulty.
His choice lay between the son (albeit illegitimate),
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 67
James Stewart, Earl of Moray (and with him the heir
to the throne, the future James VI.), and the daughter
(already deposed) of James V. A condition of civil
war prevailed, and, in such circumstances, a man had
to follow his conscience.
We have seen that in 1577, Andrew built the castle on
Eilean-a-vow, the ruins of which still stand, and it was
doubtless in connection with this event, and in acknow-
ledgment of the services the chief had rendered him,
that James VI. paid his recorded visit to the
MacFarlane country.
This island was the home of a brood of wild geese,
which were supposed to have some mysterious con-
nection with the family, and which, it is said, were
never seen again after the ruin of the house.
On the occasion of his visit to the island castle, J ames,
previous to his repast, had been much amused by the
gambols of the geese on Loch Lomond. But when one
which was brought to the table was found to be tough
and ill-fed, James jocularly observed : " that Mac-
Farlane's geese Hked their play better than their meat ";
a proverb which was long current.
In 1578, from the Privy Council Register it would
appear that the Clan was guilty of considerable
bloodshed, as witness the following, dated Stirling
Castle, 26th December, 1578, complaint by Patrick,
Lord Drummond, against the Earl of Montrose : —
" Upon the 21st day of December, John, Earl of
Montrose, with his servants and accomplices, to the
number of forty persons or thereby, in warlike manner,
came, under silence of night, to the dwelling house of
Wm. Drummond at the Mill of Nab, and surrounded
the same for the apprehension of Duncan MacFarlane,
brother-german to Andrew MacFarlane of Arrochar,
and Duncan MacCouU MacFarlane in Drummond of
Lennox, the said Patrick, Lord Drummond's servants
68 History of Clan MacFarlane
being Ijdng in their beds within the said house ; for
putting of his devised purpose into execution, entered
within the said house, and put violent hands upon the
persons aforesaid, took them out of their beds, and
perforce has transported them to his place of
Kincardine ; where he as yet detains them as captives
and prisoners."
Both parties now appearing personally, and the
Earl of Montrose having alleged and produced in his
justification a commission, dated 2nd December, given
him by the King, " for taking of the said Duncan
M'Coull MacFarlane and others, his accomplices,
committers of the cruel murder of the late Ra,
like as he by vertew thereof took and apprehended him
and the said umquhile Duncan MacFarlane, the Lords
do two things. They ordain that the Earl of Montrose
shall, under pain of horning, ' exhibit the aforesaid
persons before them upon the 29th December,' then
to hear the cause decided ; but, at the same time, they
acquit him from all pain and danger for what he has
already done in the matter."
The continuation of the narrative is found under
date, Stirling Castle, 29th December, 1578 : —
" The Earl of Montrose, now appearing and present-
ing his two prisoners, according to the order recorded
above, argued that one of them, Duncan MacCoull
MacFarlane, having been ' taken by virtue of our
Sovereign Lord's commission, for art and part of the
cruel murder of the late Ra,' ought not to be
set at liberty till he is tried. Lord Drummond, as
patron of the prisoners, contended, on the other hand,
that the said Duncan MacCoull MacFarlane ought to be
released on surety for his appearance to be tried.
The case having been considered, the Lords ' ordained
Colin, Earl of Argyll, justice principal, to whom the
said Duncan MacCoull MacFarlane was delivered, to
retain and cause him to be kept in sure firmance that
he escape not,' and direct the said Duncan to be ' put
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 69
to the knowledge of an assize within the tolbooth of
Stirling upon the 13th day of January next to come.' "
There is some confusion between the two Duncans.
From the reference to the " umquhile Duncan
MacFarlane," it would appear that the brother-german
to Andrew of Arrochar had died, and that the two
prisoners produced by the Earl of Montrose were the
men referred to in the following entry : —
" Caution by Wm. Drummond of Myllynab in 500
merks, for Duncan MacFarlane and in 100 pounds for
Malcolm MacGillevoray, his servant, that they will
appear to be tried for art and part in the slaughter of
Ra, and will keep the peace meanwhile."
In 1585, under date Holyrood House, 20th January,
the following order appears : —
" The King and his Council being informed that
his good and peaceable subjects inhabiting the countries
of the Lennox, Menteith, Stirlingshire and Strathearn
are heavily oppressed by reif , stouth, sorning and other
crimes, daily and nightly committed upon them by
certain thieves, limmers and sorners, lately broken
loose upon them from the braes of the country next
adjacent, charge is given to a number of lairds, some
twenty- eight in number, to attend the council on the
28th January, under pain of rebellion, to give informa-
tion as to the repressing of these outrages."
" Andro McFarlan of the Arroquhair" is named
second on the Hst, but apparently it was inconvenient
for him to attend, for under date, Stirling Castle, 30th
January, it is ordained that : —
" As Andrew MacFarlane of the Arrochar, James
McCondoquhy MacFarlane in Illinvow, Malcolm Beg
MacFarlane in Letter in Stragartnay, have not obeyed
the summons to appear under pain of horning, it is
now ordered that the penalty take effect."
In the Parliament acts of this year four MacFarlane
lairds are named, those of Clackon, Dumf ord, Kirktown
and Orquhart.
70 History of Clan MacFarlane
In the Parliament held July, 1587, no fewer than
nineteen acts were passed " for the quieting and keeping
in obedience of the disordered subjects, inhabitants
of the Borders, Highlands and Isles." In one of these
acts they are described as, " delighting in all mischiefs
and most unnaturally and cruelly wasting, slaying,
harrying and destroying their own neighbours, and
native country people, taking occasion of the least
trouble that may arise in the inner parts of the Realm,
when they think that care and thought of the
repressing of their insolence is in any way relaxed,
to renew their most barbarous cruelties and godless
oppressions."
In a roll of the names of the landlords and bailies of
lands, dwelling on the Borders and in the Highlands,
" where broken men have dwelt and presently dwell,"
to which one of these acts refers, are the names of the
Lairds of Buchanan, MacFarlane of the Arrochar,
Luss, MacAulay of Ardincaple, and in a " Roll of the
Clans that have Captains, chiefs and chieftains on
whom they depend, oftimes against the wills of their
landlords, as well on the Borders as in the Highlands,
and of some special persons or branches of the said
Clans, ordained to be ratified in that Parhament, are
the Buchanans, the MacFarlanes of the Arrochar,
and the Clan Gregor."
The Colquhoun Feud.
We now come to the fierce feud which existed for a
number of years with the Colquhouns. The raids by
the MacFarlanes on the lands of Luss in the time of
Duncan, the 13th Chief, already noted, were an
outcome of the civil wars of the period. Colquhoun
and MacFarlane were on opposite sides, Colquhoun
being a Roman Catholic, and MacFarlane of the
Reformed Faith. Duncan was of the faction of
Lennox and Glencairn, while Colquhoun favoured that
of Cardinal Beaton and the Regent Arran. Before
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 71
the battle of Langside, however, both had embraced
the same cause, that of the Regent Moray and the
young king, afterwards James VI.
The strife in Andrew's time was, therefore, an
entirely different matter. It was essentially a clan
quarrel, an out-and-out "deadly feud" of the
traditional type. The narrative of events is found in
government and private documents, and we shall allow
these to speak for themselves, with only occasional
comment where the bias of such writers as Sir William
Fraser appears to call for protest.
It is evident that the chief reason for the strife was
" the slaughter of one of the Clan of MacFarlane,
Humphrey MacFarlane, . . . committed by Sir
Humphrey Colquhoun of Luss," but we have also in
the traditional MacFarlane account of the Bannachra
raid, of 1592, another cause, equally potent of offence,
namely, the secret intrigue between Sir Humphrey
and the wife of John MacFarlane o' that Ilk. As the
raids, however, appear to have begun in 1590, the
second offence may have been of the nature of " fuel
to the fire."
In the Colquhoun claims for restitution in regard to
the vast amount of property taken from them, by their
neighbours, it is not easy to decide which property is
claimed to have been taken in any particular year,
the charges harking back continually to old grievances,
but it is evident that fairly friendly relations subsisted
between the two clans immediately prior to the
outbreak, for an agreement appears to have been
reached in August, 1590. This seems to refer to the
depredations by Duncan, the 13th Chief, and Walter of
Ardleish.
Sir Wm. Fraser's account of this agreement is as
follows : —
" The outstanding family quarrel between the
Colquhouns and the MacFarlanes, which in the time
of Sir John Colquhoun had been so fatal to many of
72 History of Clan MacFarlane
the dependents of the house of Colquhoun, was renewed
in the closing years of the hfetime of Sir Humphrey,
14th of Colquhoun and i6th of Luss. The Mac-
Farlanes made many incursions into the glens of Luss,
and carried off much property. In these frequent
and destructive inroads they seem to have met with
little opposition.
In a decreet- arbitral, pronounced between Sir
Humphrey Colquhoun of Luss for himself and his
tenants on the one part, and Andrew MacFarlane of
Arrochar for himself, his sons, kin, and friends on the
other part, dated Edinburgh, loth August, 1590, it
was discerned that there should be paid to Sir
Humphrey and his tenants, by Andrew MacFarlane of
Arrochar, 40 oxen, price of the piece £12 ; 60 kye,
price of the piece ;^8 ; and 10 horse, price of the piece
£13 6s. 8d.
These details are set out in an assignation (given
later) to Alexander Colquhoun of Luss by his tenants,
dated 6th January, 1602.
It is doubtful if Andrew carried out the terms of this
decree, for the MacFarlane raids began in that year and
continued through the next. Then in 1592 came the
big affair which culminated with the burning of
Bannachra castle, and the death of Sir Humphrey
Colquhoun. Fraser's account of this, as is to be
expected, differs materially from the traditional record
handed down in the Clan MacFarlane. That historian's
narrative is as follows : —
" In July, 1592, a body of the MacFarlanes and
MacGregors, descending from the mountains, com-
mitted extensive depredations upon the fertile fields of
Luss, which were now ripening for the harvest. To
repel the aggressors. Sir Humphrey collected together
a number of his vassals, and was joined by several
neighbouring landed proprietors. The hostile parties
met, and a sanguinary conflict, which lasted till
nightfall, ensued. Sir Humphrey's assailants were
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 73
more than a match for him, and he was forced to retreat.
He betook himself to the castle of Bannachra, a
stronghold, which had been erected by the Colquhouns
at the foot of the north side of the hill of Bennibuie, at
the south end of the parish of Luss. But here the
knight did not find the shelter he expected. A party
of the MacFarlanes and MacGregors pursued him, and
laid siege to his castle. One of the servants, who
attended the knight, was of the same surname as
himself. He had been tampered with by the assailants
of his master, and he treacherously made him their
victim. The servant, while conducting his master to
his room, up a winding stair of the castle, made him,
by preconcert, a mark for the arrows of the Clan who
pursued him, by throwing the glare of a paper torch
upon his person, when opposite a loophole. This
afforded a ready aim to . the besiegers, whose best
bowmen watched for the opportunity. A winged
arrow darted from its string with a steady aim, pierced
the unhappy knight to the heart, and he fell dead on
the spot. The fatal loophole is still pointed out, but
the stair, like its unfortunate lord, has crumbled into
dust.
" Not content with the murder of the Lord of
Bannachra, his merciless assailants also murdered
three of his servants, Robert Colquhoun of Tulhchin-
taull, John Galloway, and Gavin MacLellan. And so
little regard did these savage freebooters pay to the
laws of chivalry that they brutally assaulted Jean
Colquhoun, the fair and helpless daughter of Sir
Humphrey.
" Having wreaked their vengeance on the inmates
of the castle of Bannachra, they next set fire to the
castle itself."
To the fatal battle of Bannachra Sir Walter Scott
refers, in the Lady of the Lake, in the lines : —
" Proudly our pibroch has thrilled in Glen Fruin.
And Bannachra's groans to our slogan replied."
74 History of Clan MacFarlane
" The main facts of this tragic scene are proved by
two entries in the Records of the Privy Council,
several years after the events. On 31st December,
1608, Parlane MacWalter of Auchenvenell became
surety for Dougall MacCoull MacFarlane, sometime in
Drumfad and now in Tullichintaull, that he should
appear on the third day of the next Justice- aire of the
sherriff dom of Dumbarton, to underHe the law for the
alleged crimes following ; namely, for the alleged
coming to the place of Bannachra, pertaining to the
deceased Sir Humphrey Colquhoun of Luss, in the
month of July, 1592, besieging of the said house of
Bannachra, and raising of fire and burning thereof, and
for the slaughter of Sir Humphrey Colquhoun, and
ravishing of Jean Colquhoun, his eldest daughter.
"The other entry in the Records of the Privy Council,
on 13th January, 1614, shows that John, Earl of Mar,
became surety for John MacFarlane (son of Andrew,
14th Chief), now of Arrochar, that he should appear
and answer for the same crimes as those specified in the
preceding entry. A contract which was entered into
between Alexander Colquhoun of Luss and Malcolm
MacFarlane (of Gartartan) in 1603, also shows that
the MacFarlanes were accused of being art and part
in the murder of Sir Humphrey Colquhoun and his
three servants."
******
"While it is plain how Sir Humphrey was assassinated,
it is unknown by whose hand the deadly arrow was
actually shot. A contemporary chronicler (Robert
Birrell, a Burgess of Edinburgh) has noted in a diary
of events that happened in his time, which he recorded
just as they occurred, that on ' November 30th (1592),
John Colquhoun was beheaded at the Cross of Edin-
burgh, for murdering of his own brother, the Laird of
Luss.' The painful charge against John Colquhoun of
imbruing his hands in his brother's blood, rests on the
authority of Birrell alone (an authority which Fraser, in
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 75
other connections, accepts without cavil or dispute.
— Ed). The family papers afford no evidence of it.
The retour of the service of Alexander Colquhoun, the
younger brother of John, as heir to him, in several
rents which was expede on nth February,
1607, and which states that John died in December,
1592, seems to corroborate so far the statement of
Birrell as to the time of the death of John, the slight
discrepancy as to the month being unimportant
It is possible that the statement of Birrell is inaccurate
to this extent, that he should have recorded that the
John Colquhoun who was executed was the servant,
instead of the brother, of the Laird of Luss, the brother
having died in the following month ; as we know
that a servant of the name of Colquhoun was accessory
to the murder ; and it is certainly very improbable
that, in a fierce feud between the family of Colquhoun
and the MacFarlanes, the next brother of the Chief of
the Colquhouns would voluntarily take part with the
enemies of his house against his own brother and Chief,
and actually shoot him dead with his own hand.
"Inthe conflict which led to thedeathof SirHumphrey,
the Colquhouns were overpowered, and were entirely
at the mercy of the victors. As they bribed the servant
of the vanquished to accomplish the death of the
Chief, and also assaulted his innocent daughter, and
burned the castle, it is also probable that they may
have captured John Colquhoun, the brother, and
forced him to assist in the murder of his brother, Sir
Humphrey, in such a manner as to make him
responsible for that crime, and save themselves, as
there is no trace that any MacFarlane or MacGregor
suffered at the same time with John Colquhoun."
It will be seen that Fraser is at great pains to explain
away this damning evidence to the extent, it seems to
us, of making himself ridiculous. We shall leave his
ingenuous statement to the judgment of our readers.
We are grateful, however, to the worthy burgess.
76 History of Clan MacFarlane
Birrell, of Edinburgh, for keeping a diary. A judge
once remarked, " Fools keep diaries," but this fool, we
are prone to think, was justified in his folly.
Fr£Lser, throughout his writings on behalf of the
Colquhouns, is thorough paced in his condemnation
of the MacFarlanes. Thieves, robbers, murderers —
the words flow from his pen with unction. His
indignation could not have been greater had he been
himself a Colquhoun ; but when he is bound to record
doubtful practices indulged in by the same John, they
become merely boyish pranks, reprehensible certainly,
but not to be regarded seriously, as for instance, " John,
it would appear, had acquired notoriety by his
adventures in harassing and despoiling the tenants of
neighbouring lands." These adventures (sic) included
a cart horse worth 20 pounds stolen from John Dennis-
toun of Colgrain, and a grey horse and a dun grey mare
from the widow of Patrick Lawrie of Colgrain. He
also stole a brown horse of the value of £20 from the
brother of the widow, as well as a grey mare worth
£16, while, from Camiseskan, he " lifted " two cows
and six sheep.
But Fraser's picture was to the order of his patron.
Sir James Colquhoun, and he must needs paint with a
white brush.
Disguise the fact as he may, John Colquhoun was
what we would call " a bad lot," and may well have
killed his brother. He was the cause also of a feud
between the Galbraiths and Colquhouns by killing
Donald MacNeill MacFarlane, household servant of
Robert Galbraith of Culcreuch. The following is the
reference : —
In 1593 Galbraith obtained a commission of
justiciary for pursuing the Clan Gregor, which involved
power to convene the lieges. Alexander Colquhoun,
15th of Colquhoun and 17th of Luss, and Aulay Mac-
Aulay of Ardincaple, however, suspected that Galbraith
had really secured this power to extend his malice
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 77
against them, and, " under the pretext of searching
for MacGregors, to besiege and burn their houses."
They accordingly complained that Galbraith had
already given proof of such an intention by raising
the Buchanans against Ardincaple, also the deadly
feud betwixt Alexander Colquhoun of Luss and
Galbraith, by reason of the slaughter of the deceased
Donald MacNeill MacFarlane, household servant to
Robert Galbraith, committed by Alexander Colquhoun's
late brother, still stood between their houses,
unreconciled, and the Laird of Culcreuch was daily
awaiting for opportunities to avenge that slaughter.
On these and other grounds, Colquhoun and MacAulay
were exempted from the duty of pursuing the Mac-
Gregors on that occasion.
As this Alexander, the third son of Sir John
Colquhoun, succeeded his brother — he was laird in the
year following the Bannachra affair (1593) — ^there seems
little doubt that it was, in truth, John, the brother of
Sir Humphrey, and not, " a gillie of that name," who
was executed in Edinburgh in 1592. And who more
likely to suborn the traitor Colquhoun than a
Colquhoun. Certainly, if there was any suborning it
was more likely to be the work of John Colquhoun
than John MacFarlane. The circumstantial account
of the Bannachra raid, given by the Rev. James
Dewar, seems to be much more probable, especially in
regard to the Colquhoun traitor. Fraser's elaborately
conceived plot for the killing of Sir Humphrey is alto-
gether a tax upon our credulity. It is not reasonable
to suppose that such a plan could be formed in the
course of a short retreat and pursuit. There was so
much against the particular circumstances arising
which necessarily had to be anticipated.
But whatever hand John Colquhoun had in the
slaughter of his brother, historians and antiquarians
persist in charging the death of Sir Humphrey
Colquhoun upon the Clan MacFarlane. They do
78 History of Clan MacFarlane
not, however, agree as to the time and circumstance,
some asserting it to have been done upon the evening
of the bloody slaughter of Glenfruin, after the victory
over the Colquhouns in 1603. Buchanan for instance,
writes : — " The Laird of Luss having escaped from the
battle was afterwards killed by the MacFarlanes
through the influence of a certain nobleman whom
Colquhoun had disobliged," and Sir Walter Scott
accepts Buchanan's version ; but the inviolable
tradition as handed down in the MacFarlane family
and written down by the Rev. James Dewar, M.A.,
when minister of Arrochar, appears to us to be nearest
the truth.
The Raid of Glen Finlas.
Mr. Dewar's narrative runs as follows : — " In the
reign of James VI., MacFarlane's dwelhng-house was
at Tarbet, on the shores of Loch Lomond, close to
where the school-house now stands. At that time,
when the taking of cattle from the Lowlanders
was a gentlemanly occupation, MacFarlane levied
the ' blackmail ' for the rent of the Earl of Lennox's
land, and protected the tenants from robbers. He
had a band of one hundred men living between Loch
Sloy and Tarbet, ready to arm at the shortest notice.
He (John, afterwards 15th chief) was married to a lady
by name Buchanan of Kilmaronock. She, as was the
custom in that day, spun and made webs of cloth.
Her weaver lived at Banairich, a mile below Luss.
She often had an excuse to go to his house. There
were no roads then, and when she went, it was by boat.
Reports of her improper intimacy with Sir Humphrey
Colquhoun had reached MacFarlane, and his jealousy
was aroused. On one occasion she wished to go to her
weaver's with a web. MacFarlane was unwilling to
allow her, and desired her to send a servant instead,
but she would not listen to his request, and as she was
hastily dressing, a note fell from her garments, which
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 79
her husband hfted, unperceived by her. On reading
the paper, he found it contained an arrangement for
the meeting, that day, of his lady and Sir Humphrey
Colquhoun.
" After she had left, MacFarlane aroused his ' Air-
phi,' and marched them down by the most direct road,
across Glen Douglas. They crossed Luss Glen at
Auchengarna, came through the wood above
Banaridhu, and surrounded the house. They could
see Mrs. MacFarlane and Sir Humphrey walking
together. He understood that the MacFarlanes had
not come as friends, and fled for refuge to his castle of
Bannachra, about five miles distant, and outrunning
his pursuers, had all the doors secured before they
came up. The MacFarlanes were unable to force the
doors, nor did they know in what part of the castle
he was concealed, but finding Sir Humphrey's body-
servant in an outhouse, they brought him to Mac-
Farlane, who put his sword to the servant's breast,
saying, ' Tell me in what part of the castle your master
is concealed, or I will run this sword through you.'
The poor wretch, thus threatened, told where Sir
Humphrey was hidden, when MacFarlane caused his
men to bring brush, heather and wood and set fire
to them on the windy side of the castle.
" The smoke forced Sir Humphrey to open a window
for breath, when one of MacFarlane's men shot him
with an arrow that gave him a mortal wound. The
doors were then opened, and Sir Humphrey was
delivered into MacFarlane's hands, who caused him to
be beheaded at once, and the body mutilated in
revenge."
In returning, they took the gates of the castle of
Ross Dhu, which were of iron, with them, and carried
them to Arrochar, where they remained in the
possession of the MacFarlanes until the estate was sold
to Ferguson of Wraith in the year 1784.
Mrs. MacFarlane had a bill of divorce served upon
8o History of Clan MacFarlane
her, and leaving Arrochar, she went to live with her
relatives. Some time thereafter, Sir Humphrey's
successor requested MacFarlane to send back the
gates. He repHed : "If you want the gates, come and
take them away."
Soon Colquhoun of Luss collected his men and came
up through the " String of Luss " to revenge himself
on MacFarlane, and to recover the old gates of his
castle. The Arrochar people did not expect them,
and Colquhoun came upon them unawares.
MacFarlane and MacFarlane of Gartartan were in
his house, drinking ale, when they arrived. Mac-
Farlane leaped from a back window and hid in the
thicket. The Colquhouns searched the house, but
while doing so the cry of " Loch Sloy " was sounded,
and MacFarlane's men came to their chief's aid.
MacFarlane led his gathered men. The Colquhouns
stood on a common between where Tarbet House now
stands and Glen Tarbet rivulet. The MacFarlanes
were gathered on the opposite side, and the chiefs
began to parley, but it soon became apparent that the
MacFarlanes were too numerous for the Luss men, and
the chief of the Colquhouns and his men hastily fled
above the woods and along by Loch Lomond, where
there was a foot-path, never again coming to claim the
gates of Ross Dhu.
The gates, it is said, were kept at Tighvechtan, " The
House of the Watch," in Tarbet Glen."
It wiU be observed that Fraser omits all reference to
Ross Dhu, although in Colquhoun's claim, dated 1603,
against Andrew MacFarlane is mention of damage
done to, "the manor place and fortilice of Rossdhu."
The brutal assault upon Jean Colquhoun, mentioned
by Fraser, tends also to confirm the accuracy of the
Arrochar tradition. To men of those times " an eye
for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" was simple justice.
It seems rather superfluous in the circumstances for
Alexander Colquhoun, on 8th May, 1593, to bind
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 8i
himself not to harbour or protect any of the surname
of MacFarlane, under pain of £2,000 Scots, but this
was merely a case of the new laird putting his signature
to a general bond of 1587, which was directed also
against the Buchanans and MacGregors. Robert
Erskine of Sauchie having become surety, on 13th
September, 1593, that Andrew MacFarlane of Arrochar,
his men, tenants and servants, for whom he was
answerable, should satisfy persons scathed. Alexr.
Colquhoun, by making the usual charges of the
MacFarlanes having at divers times committed
robberies, thefts, hardships, incursions, depredations,
and oppressions upon the people of Luss, without, be
it remarked, giving the reasons for the same, the Col-
quhoun Chief obtained letters of prohibition under the
Royal Signet, 12th December, 1593, addressed to the
sheriffs of Stirling, charging them to prohibit the said
Robert Erskine from selHng, alienating, and disposing
of any of his lands, heritages, corns, cattle, goods, or
gear, and to prohibit, by open proclamation, at the
market cross of Stirling and other places needful, the
lieges from buying, receiving, or taking in " woadset "
from the said Robert any of his (Colquhoun's) lands, etc.
Adam Colquhoun of Milton, in like manner, brought
an action of contravention against Wm. Cunningham
of Polmaise, who had become a cautioner for the
MacFarlanes, before the Lords of Session ; and on
1st March, 1595, he obtained a decree, decerning
that the MacFarlanes had been guilty, as charged
by the complainer, and that William Cunningham
had incurred the pains contained in the act of
cautionary, and that therefore, he should pay the
one- half of these pains to his Majesty, and the other half
to Adam Colquhoun, the party aggrieved.
It was on 2 1st March, 1590, that Wm. Cunningham
became cautioner with regard to Letters of Lawborrows
(legal security) registered in the Books of Secret
Council for John MacFarlane, son and apparent heir of
F
82 History of Clan MacFarlane
Andrew MacFarlane of Arrochar, Andrew MacFarlane
of Gartavartane, Malcolm, Andrew, and John Dow
MacFarlane, his three sons, Malcolm Beg MacFarlane
in the Letter, and Walter MacFarlane, his son, that
Adam Colquhoun in Milton, his wife, bairns, tenants,
and servants, should be harmless and skaithless in
their bodies, lands, possessions, and goods, under
various penalties. John MacFarlane, apparent of
Arrochar, under the pain of 5,000 merks, Andrew
MacFarlane of Gartavartane, under the pain of 1,000
merks, and each of the other persons mentioned under
the pain of 300 merks. It was claimed by Colquhoun
that the MacFarlanes had contravened, on divers
occasions, the said Act of Cautionary. Adam Colqu-
houn raised this action, and William Cunningham was
condemned to pay the aforesaid penalties.
On 23rd December, 1595, a charge was directed
against a considerable number of persons, under deadly
feud, nobles, knights, barons, and others to appear
personally before the King and Council at Holjnrood-
house, to underly such order as should be prescribed
touching the removal of these feuds, and various efforts
were made to restore harmony between the MacFarlanes
and the Colquhouns. As a result a truce appears to
have been made. In 1597 the Laird of Luss received
from John Erskine, Earl of Mar, a bond assuring him
that he and his tenants would remain unmolested by
the MacFarlanes. It reads : —
" Be it known to all men by these presents, we John,
Earl of Mar, Lord Erskine, for ourself, and taking the
burden upon us for Andrew MacFarlane of Arrochar,
John MacFarlane his eldest son, fiar thereof, Andrew
MacFarlane of Gartavartane, Malcolm MacFarlane, his
eldest son, fiar thereof, and the remaining surname of
MacFarlane, our kin, friends, men, tenants, servants,
dependents, assistants, partakers, and all others that
are Uable to undergo the law, desire to state and, by
the tenour hereof, specially and expressly assure
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 83
Alexander Colquhoun of Luss, his kin, friends, men,
etc., that they shall be unhurt, unharmed, unmolested,
untroubled, uninvaded, or in any wise pursued, crimin-
ally or ' eiuilye,' in the law, or by the law, by me or our
foresaid, for whatsoever cause, quarrel, or occasion
bygone, preceding the date hereof, unto the nth day
of November next to come ; promising to observe,
and cause these presents to be observed and kept
inviolate in any point, under the pain of ' periurie,'
infamy, and loss of perpetual credit, honour, and
estimation, in time coming. In witness whereof, we,
for OUT help, and taking the burden upon us, as said,
subscribe these presents, as follows, at StirUng Castle,
the first day of June, the year of God, fifteen hundred
and ninety-seven, before these witnesses, Harry Shaw,
Thomas Howme, Charles Panter and Andrew Buchanan,
our servants. j_ j^^^_
A. Buchanan, Witness.
Thomas Howme, Witness."
On the 7th of November, 1597, Alexander Colquhoun
subscribed a similar bond, carrjdng the truce to a later
date, namely, " unto the last of November instant."
The disturbances caused by these clan contentions
in the South Highlands were a source of great uneasiness
and anxiety to James VI. and his Government, so for
the preservation of the peace, his Majesty and the
lords of the Privy Council issued letters to the sheriffs
requiring them to command the principal men within
their jurisdiction to find sufficient sureties, to be
registered in the Books of the Privy Council for their
good behaviour.
Ludovic, Duke of Lennox, was appointed by His
Majesty's Commissioner of Justiciary, within the shire
of Dumbarton, regality and dukedom of Lennox, to
carry out suitable measures. Apparently he made a
determined effort to settle the many vexed questions
amongst the Lennox Clans, but not with entire success.
84 History of Clan MacFarlane
In the Montrose Charter- chest is an undated paper
to Ludovic, containing offers made and given in by
John MacFarlane, fiar of Arrochar (eldest son of Andrew),
and Malcolm MacFarlane, fiar of Gartavartane (third of
Gartartan), with special consent of Andrew MacFarlane
of Arrochar, and Andrew Dow MacFarlane of Gartavar-
tane, their fathers, for themselves and their kin,
friends, and surname, for whom they were answerable.
They offer first, to satisfy all parties scathed by
any of their deeds in time past, his Lordship assigning
to them a reasonable day for that purpose ; and,
secondly, to find sufficient landed noblemen as
cautioners and sureties for them in regard to the time
to come, that they should compear before his Lordship,
at his command, on a reasonable day, to answer for
themselves and their friends foresaid, and to make
satisfaction for any scathe that they might hereafter
commit, and to deliver up the perpetrators, or else to
banish them out of the bounds of Arrochar, and to give
them no assistance, supply, or entertainment, either
directly or indirectly. A concluding paragraph, how-
ever, leaves unsettled the feud with the Colquhouns.
There was to be no forgiving and forgetting, for the
MacFarlanes say, " Last under protestation that these
offers fasten nothing against them for any particulars,
standing or committed, in times bygone, between them
and the house of Luss, in respect of the deadly feud
standing between them unreconciled, until the same be
taken away. Otherwise they offer all that they may
do in anyway, their lives and lands being excepted, and
pray his lordship to take some good order, therewith."
This appears to have been in the nature of a private
communication. When the matter came to a public
issue the MacFarlanes were still more cautious. They
would only make restitution in proved cases of
injustice. They, however, entered into the usual
bonds, for what these were worth ; very little, we are
inclined to think.
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 85
At Glasgow, on 21st November, 1599, the Duke
decided that the various landlords of the county, and
generally all others, having broken men upon their
lands and heritages, should find sufficient cautioners
and sureties to his Lordship, that they and their men
should be answerable to justice before his Lordship
and his deputies, and give redress to parties who should
be scathed.
The Chief of the Clan MacFarlane declared that they
were not able to find the said caution, but offered to
make restitution of all bygone theft, reif , and oppression
so far as the parties that had sustained loss were able to
make proof thereof. His Lordship therefore, at the
same meeting, in order to the settlement of such
questions, ordained that the party who was scathed
should elect a number of honest men, not exceeding
16 persons, dwelling within the shire of Dumbarton
and regality of Lennox, " or four halves about," and
that the person accused of committing the crime,
should, out of this number, choose the one-half, as a
jury, by whose verdict he should either be exculpated,
or sentenced to refund the scathe that had been done.
For refunding that loss John MacFarlane, fiar of
Arrochar, and Malcolm Dow MacFarlane of Gartavar-
tane, as principals for themselves and their clan and
surname of MacFarlane, were to find sufficient
cautioners, in so far as they had not been already found;
and that good order might be the better kept in future
by the clan and surname of MacFarlane, it was
ordained that the said John and Malcolm MacFarlane
should be warded by the said noble lord until satis-
faction should be made by them or their cautioners for
the said bygone scathe, which should be done before
the ist of March following, and also until the said John
and Malcolm found sufficient cautioners, under the
pain of 5,000 merks ; John, 3,000 and Malcolm, 2,000 3
that they, their said clan and surname, should abstain
forthwith from aU theft and oppression in time coming,
History of Clan MacFarlane
and should refund the scathe that should happen to
be committed by any of them to the person damaged,
upon its being proven. It was further ordained that
the said John and Malcolm should enter the committers
of the said crimes prisoners for trial by the said noble
lord, or should banish them forthwith from the bounds
over which they had authority, and that should the
principals, when they had opportunity, neglect to
apprehend them before their banishment, or harbour
or maintain the fugitives when they re-entered within
the said bounds, or suffer to pass tbrough their bounds
any other thieves, clans, or oppressors, whom it might
be in their power to prevent, they should be held
culpable of the said crimes.
Soon after, John MacFarlane, fiar of Arrochar, and
Malcolm MacFarlane, fiar of Gartavartane, appeared
before Ludovic, Duke of Lennox for the purpose of
giving the security required. Sir Patrick Maxwell of
Newark (John's grandfather) became cautioner for
John, and David Cunningham of Ibert, Walter Leckie
of Easter Poldar, and Wm. Graham of Doucheall
(Duchray) (?), for Malcolm, binding themselves to
present them before the Duke, within the Castle of
Edinburgh, upon the ist day of December, 1600, within
the space of 15 days after his Lordship's letters were
delivered to the parties for whom they were cautioners,
under the pain of 5,000 merks, that the said persons
might redress, " any enormities, reifs, thefts or scathes,"
that should be committed by them or those for whom
they were answerable.
As we have suggested, the Colquhouns had small
success with their law pleas, and in 1602 no restitution
apparently having been made, they were, somewhat
naturally, becoming impatient. On the 6th of January
of that year, Walter, James, and Adam Colquhoun, of
Milton of Colquhoun, and others, assigned their claims
against the MacFarlanes to their Chief, Alexander.
These included the award already detailed of the
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 87
" decreet arbitral," of 1590, for the damage done in
Duncan's time and some depredations of February,
1589 ; the horses, cows, oxen, and other goods and gear,
wrongously taken away from them, out of their rooms
and possessions, by Andrew MacFarlane of Arrochar,
John MacFarlane, fiar of Arrochar, Humphrey ]\Tac-
Farlane, his brother, Malcolm MacFarlane of Gartavar-
tane, and their accomplices.
The Chief of Colquhoun apparently took no action
upon this assignation, for, on March 12th, 1603, a
large number of the friends and dependents of the
Laird of Luss — Colquhouns of Blairvaddich, Kil-
patrick, Kilmardinny, Camstradden, and Hill —
obtained a decree of the Lords of Council and Session
against Andrew MacFarlane of Arrochar and his two
sons, John and Humphrey, commanding them to make
restitution to the pursuers of certain goods, gear,
inside plenishings, " abnilzeimentis " and other
property of which they had wrongously despoiled them,
and to make payment to them of the price and profit
of the same, each to pay his own proportion, as is
particularly expressed in the decree.
From a list preserved at Ross Dhu of the beasts,
goods, and gear, taken by the MacFarlanes, from the
Laird of Luss and his tenants in the years 1590 to 1594,
an idea can be found of the vast nature of the despoiling.
Below we give the details of the four years, in respect
to the animals " lifted."
1590.
5 Horses, ...
2 Staiggis, - - -
2 1 Mares and 1 1 Foals,
21 Cows, - . -
5 Oxen, ...
20 Sheep, . - -
Carried forward, - - - ^1,106 13
£126
6
8
20
625
6
8
248
62
25
88
History of Clan MacFarlane
1591.
Brought forward, - - - ;^i,io6 13 4
8 Horses, - - . . _ ^148 o o
2 Staiggis, 20 o o
15 Mares and 3 Foals, - - - 197 6 8
26 Cows, .... - 222 13 4
II Oxen, 138 o o
68 Sheep, - - . . _ 102 o o
1592.
7 Horses, ^436 o o
2 Staiggis, 26 134
13 Mares and 5 Foals, - - - 262 o o
34 Cows, 357 o o
10 Oxen, . - . . - 1^0 o o
44 Sheep, 98 00
1593-
I Horse, - - . - . ^20 o o
1 Stag, 10 00
3 Mares, 36 134
4 Cows, --... 46 00
4 Oxen, 56 00
8 Sheep, 1200
1594-
4 Horses, - . - . . £gQ 13 ^
I Stag, 6 13 4
20 Mares, 197 13 4
37 Cows, 385 o o
10 Oxen, - . . . . 132 o o
24 Sheep, .-... 21 00
;^4.37i o o
The summons also contains a statement of the
profits lost by the theft of the animals in the five years,
from the time of theft to the date of the summons.
The whole amount claimed is £155,501 8s.
The above list is, of course, exclusive of the " inside
gear," i.e., household furniture and other goods taken.
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief
A few months later the various Colquhoun claimants,
apparently for the second time, assigned their claims
to their Chief. It will be observed that in the summons
above referred to, only the Arrochar MacFarlanes are
named, Andrew the Chief and his two sons, John and
Humphrey. The explanation of this is that a little
later in the year a reconciliation, probably then
pending, was effected between the Colquhouns and the
Gartartan MacFarlanes. This rather seems to indicate
that John and Malcolm, the eldest sons of Arrochar
and Gartartan, were not acting in the same cordial
unison as before. At all events, a bond was entered
into between Alexander Colquhoun and Malcolm
MacFarlane, apparent heir of Gartavartane, for
himself, and in name of his brothers, his father's
brothers, and the sons of his father's brothers. This
bond confirms that the MacFarlanes were art and part
in the slaughter of Sir Humphrey and his three servants.
Alexander Colquhoun bound himself to stop pro-
ceedings against Malcolm MacFarlane and those whom
he represented, on account of these slaughters, and to
grant them a remission for the spoilations and thefts
which they had committed at Colquhoun, Connaltown,
Tullychewan, the manor place andf ortalice of Ross Dhu,
on his brother, Sir Humphrey, himself, and their
tenants. On the other hand, Malcolm became bound
to grant a bond of manrent and service to Alexander
Colquhoun, himself, and his friends, against all men,
except the Duke of Lennox ; and engaged, should that
bond be contravened by himself personally, to pay to
Alexander Colquhoun 5,000 merks, and should it be
contravened by others, to deliver up the contravenors to
Alexander, and failing which, to pay to him for every
contravention, 1,000 merks. It was further stipulated
that this agreement in no way affected the claims of the
Laird of Luss against Andrew MacFarlane, Laird of
Arrochar and his sons, John and Humphrey, and their
friends, for their part in these crimes.
90 History of Clan MacFarlane
One reason why the Colquhouns suffered so seriously
at this time without being in a position to pay back in
kind, was probably the fact that all their neighbours to
the north and west, MacGregors, MacAulays, Mac-
Farlanes, and Campbells, were more or less in league
against them. Besides, the MacFarlanes, the Duke of
Argyll, and the Clan MacGregor had reasons of their
own for attacking the Colquhouns. The lands of Luss,
indeed, suffered more at the hands of the MacGregors
than even at those of the MacFarlanes. These
invasions culminated in the Raid of Glenfinlas, 17th
December, 1602, and the historic battle of Glenfruin,
7th February, 1603.
Just as the MacGregors assisted the MacFarlanes in
the Bannachra raid of 1592, so apparently John
MacFarlane, the heir apparent of Arrochar, lent his
strength to the MacGregor enterprise*. Dougall
MacCoull MacFarlane, sometime in Drumfad and
afterwards in Tullichintaull, whom we have already
mentioned as being indicted in respect to the Ban-
nachra affair with John MacFarlane, afterwards of
Arrochar, were accused of " being in the company with
the late Alastair MacGregor of Glenstra, his kin and
friends at the field of Glenfruin."
In a note to " Rob Roy," in allusion to the murder
of the students from Dumbarton College, who came to
witness the battle of Glen Fruin, Sir Walter Scott
wrote : —
" An ancient and constant tradition preserved among
the inhabitants of Dumbartonshire, and particularly
those of the Clan MacFarlane, reheves Dugald Ciar
Mor (ancestor of Rob Roy) of the guilt of murdering
a party of students for clerical orders from Dumbarton
who had imprudently come out to witness the battle.
* Readers of " The Red Fox " should note that in that novel,
for narrative purposes, the three invasions are made to appear as
if one, and that apocryphal event ante-dated to the previous
reign. [Ed.]
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 91
The MacFarlane legend attributes the blame to a
certain Donald or Duncan Lean, who performed the
act of cruelty with the assistance of a gillie who attended
him, named Charlioch, or Charlie. They say that
the homicides dared not again join the clan, but that
they resided in a wild and solitary state as outlaws in
an unfrequented part of the MacFarlanes' territory.
Here they lived for some time undisturbed, till they
committed an act of brutal violence on two defenceless
women, a mother and daughter of the MacFarlane
Clan. In revenge of this atrocity the MacFarlanes
hunted them down and shot them. It is said that the
younger ruffian, Charlioch, might have escaped, being
remarkably swift of foot. But his crime became his
punishment, for the female whom he had outraged
had defended herself desperately and had stabbed
him with his own dirk in the thigh. He was lame from
the wound and was the more easily overtaken and
killed."
As is well known, after this battle the MacGregors
were proscribed and harassed upon all sides. In 16 11
their chief refuge was an island of Loch Katrine, where
they accumulated warlike stores and food supplies.
It was necessary therefore that the Government in its
determination to extirpate the clan should attack by
boat, and they proposed to transfer all " the boats and
birlingis " upon Loch Lomond to Loch Katrine for
this purpose. Accordingly the Privy Council issued
an order, ordaining that all his Majesty's subjects
bet\vixt sixteen and sixty years of age, within the shire
of Dumbarton, Stewartry of Menteith, and six parishes
of the Lennox, in the Shire of Stirling, should be
summoned by open proclamation at the market cross
of Dumbarton, Stirling, Doune and Menteith to meet
at the head of Loch Lomond on the 12th of February,
1611, for the purpose of carrying the boats and birhngs
which were upon Loch Lomond to Loch Katrine.
Meantime Colquhoun, exasperated by his great loss
92 History of Clan MacFarlane
at the battle of Glen Fniin, was preparing personally
to head an attack upon the outlawed clan. On the
31st of January, 1611, he appeared at Stiriing before
the Privy Council in company with John, Eari of TulU-
bardine, William, Lord Murray, his son Henry, Lord
St. Colme, Sir Duncan Campbell of Glenurquhy, knight.
Sir George Buchanan of that Ilk, James Campbell of
Lawers, and Andrew MacFarlane of Arrochar. Each
of them undertook, " to go to the fields and to enter
into action and blood against " the Clan Gregor
between that date and the 13th of February following,
and to prosecute that service for a month at his own
charges. Thereafter the King was to defray the
expenses of the maintenance of 100 men to assist them,
whilst they were to bear the cost of another 100 men
until the service should be ended. At the same time
Duncan Campbell, Captain of Carrick, was required to
remove all boats out of Loch Long and Loch Goil, that
the Clan Gregor might have no passage on these
lochs.
The appearance of Andrew MacFarlane in the
company of the laird of Colquhoun indicates that the
feud between the two clans had at last been reconciled.
We have not been able to trace how this was brought
about, but the settlement was effected before 1610, as
appears by a decree of the Lords of Council of 15th
February of that year. In introducing this item of
history, Eraser has the grace, at last, to say, " The
cause of this feud was the slaughter of one of the Clan
MacFarlane, Humphrey MacFarlane, father of John
MacDouill Vic Neill MacFarlane, committed by Sir
Humphrey Colquhoun."
The decree of the Lords of Council acquits Alexander
Colquhoun of Luss from an action raised against him,
at the instance of Gillemor Macllerith, in Little Hills,
Glen, who had summoned him to exhibit, personally,
before the Lords of Secret Council on 15th February,
1610, John MacDouill Vic Neill MacFarlane, who, on
Andrew — ^Fourteenth Chief 93
8th January preceding had been denounced rebel, and
put to the horn, by virtue of letters raised at the
instance of Gillemor Macllerith, for not finding
sufficient caution acted in the books of adjournal for
his personal appearance before the justice and his
deputies on a certain day bygone, to have submitted
himself to the law for the cruel murder and slaughter
of the said Gillemor's daughter, Catherine, committed
by him.
Alexander Colquhoun was summoned to exhibit the
said John MacDouill Vic Neill MacFarlane, because that
person was his tenant and servant, dwelling in the
lands of Shemore Glenfinlas, and for whom, therefore,
it was affirmed, he ought by the laws of the realm,
acts of Parliament, and general bond, to answer, and
whom he should present for trial. The decree is in
the following terms : —
" The Lords of Secret Council acquit completely the
said Alexander Colquhoun of Luss from the prosecution
and petition of the said pursuer in this matter, and
from all the points, clauses and articles contended in
the said summons and find him free therefrom in time
coming, because the said Lords understand that deadly
feud and enmity, which was of long continuance
between the said Alexander Colquhoun of Luss, his
kin and friends on the one part, and the Clan Farlane
on the other part, which existed upon the occasion of
the slaughter of Humphrey MacFarlane, father to the
said John MacDouill Vic Neill MacFarlane and was
committed by Sir Humphrey Colquhoun of Luss,
brother of the said Alexander Colquhoun of Luss, is
now by the King Maj esty's special direction reconciled
and agreed, and the barbarous and detestible cruelties
which fell out upon the occasion of that feud altogether
removed, and that the exhibition of the said John
MacDouill MacFarlane will not only give occasion to
revive and renew the said feud but will cause great
trouble and disquiet in the country, and also because
94 History of Clan MacFarlane
Andrew MacFarlane of Arrochar, Chief and Chieftain
of the whole Clan Farlane, has found caution and
surety for making of all those persons for whom he is
held to answer, obedient and answerable to justice,
conformable to the laws of this realm, acts of Parlia-
ment, and general bond, and that the said pursuer may
have good action against the said Andrew MacFarlane
as Chief and Chieftain of the clan, and against his
cautioners for the exhibition of the said John
MacDouill Vic Neill MacFarlane who is one of the
branches of the said clan, and in the revenge of whose
father's slaughter committed by the said Sir Humphrey
Colquhoun of Luss, the whole clan assisted and took
part. For the which causes the said Lords acquit the
said Alexander Colquhoun of Luss in the manner
aforesaid."
Fraser, or rather one of his ghosts (see Preface),
adds : " The facts recorded in this decree go far to
explain the cause of the violent depredations committed
by the clan of MacFarlane upon the lands and tenants
of the Laird of Luss in the year 1590, and in subsequent
years."
Harking back a little we find it stated that in 1608
the Clan MacFarlane were declared rebels at law, and
that may have had an influence upon the final com-
position of the deadly feud.
The "plantation of Ulster" of 1608-10 we believe
accounts for the settlements of MacFarlanes in the
North of Ireland, particularly in County Tyrone. The
king (James VI.) adopted the experiment which on a
smaller scale he had tried in the island of Lewis. The
Province of Ulster was to be sub-divided into lots, and
offered on certain conditions to colonists from Scotland
and England. In March 1609, there came a letter to
the Scottish Privy Council announcing the offer which
His Majesty, " out of his unspeakable love and tender
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 95
affection," now made to his Scottish subj ects. Seventy-
seven Scots came forward as purchasers ; and if their
offer had been accepted, they would have possessed
among them 147,000 acres of Irish land. A re-
arrangement which was made the following year,
however, diminished the number of candidates. When,
in the autumn of 1610, the Plantation actually began,
fifty-nine was the number of the favoured Scots, and
81,000 acres were to be set at their disposal. Of the
fifty- nine, five were nobles — the Duke of Lennox
(Ludovic, 2nd Duke and 17th Earl), his brother. Lord
D'Aubigny (Esme Stewart, subsequently 3rd Duke and
i8th Earl), the Earl of Abercorn, the Lord of Burley,
and Lord Ochiltree. With the two heads of the
Lennox family engaged in the enterprise, it is a fair
inference that some of the MacFarlanes took advantage
of this scheme and settled in Ulster. Others, of
course, went at later times, but this event seems to
suggest the first settlement of the MacFarlanes of
Ulster, from whom so many American members of the
clan are descended.
It will have been observed throughout our account
of the Colquhoun feud that John, Andrew's eldest son
and heir- apparent, figured much more prominently
than the chief himself, and the reason of this was that
in 1581 Andrew put him in possession of the lands of
Arrochar, reserving to himself only the liferent of the
said lands. At that date Andrew's age would be
37 years, and this course was probably taken as the
clan, on account of the arduous nature of their warfare,
required a younger leader. Be that as it may, on 30th
May, 1581, John MacFarlane, son and heir apparent of
Andrew MacFarlane of Arrochar, was on a precept of
sasine by Esme, Earl of Lennox, invested in the lands
of Arrochar MacGilchrist, in the Earldom of Lennox
and shire of Dumbarton, between the rivulet of Nether
Inveruglas and the rivulet of Trostane, by the resigna-
tion of the said Andrew into the hands of the said noble
96 History of Clan MacFarlane
Lord, the lord superior, in favour of his son, John, the
father reserving to himself the Hf erent of the said lands.
Andrew we have seen was alive in 1611, but he died in
that or the following year, and was most probably
buried at Luss.
The chiefs of MacFarlane who were hereditary lords
of the soil, apparently always regarded Luss as their
parish, worshipped in its church, and were buried in its
graveyard. John caused an ornate stone to be carved
and erected over his ancestors' sepulchre. When the
new church was erected by Sir James Colquhoun, the
stone was removed and built into the north wall of the
new church, appropriately facing towards Arrochar,
Surmounted by a death's head and an hour glass with
crossbones on one side and on the other a crossed
scythe and spade, it bears this inscription : —
Here is the place of burial
appointit for the Lairds of
Arroquhar, buildit by Johne
Mackfarlan Laird thairof
1612.
EFTER DEATHE
REMAIMIS VERTEW
MEMENTO MORI
J. M. I612.
It is highly probable that John had this stone carved
and erected after laying his father's remains in the
grave. Andrew was 67 or 68 when he died, and for
some 64 or 65 years he was Chief of the Clan — a long
reign.
Malcolm Beg MacFarlane of The Letter in Stragart-
ney, seems to have been a person of importance in the
time of Andrew, the 12th chief, as he was, along with
his son, Walter, held accountable, with the heads of
the Arrochar and Gartartan famihes, for the alleged
mis-deeds of the Clan in 1585 and 1590. He was
probably a younger son of Walter of Ardleish. Prior
Andrew — Fourteenth Chief 97
to that time, in 1580, he had apparently been
appointed by the king keeper of the forest of Glen-
finlas, but that office was taken from him as the
following from The Red Book of Menteith shows :
" Letters by King James the Sixth, discharging
Malcolm Beg MacFarlane from keeping of the forest
of Glenfinlas — Holyrood House, 7th December, 1580.
James, by the Grace of God, King of Scots, to our
loved Thomas Wallace, Messenger, Messengers, Sherrif s
in that part, ' coniunctlie ' and surely, specially
constituted, greeting : Forasmuch as it is understood
by us and the lords of our Secret Council that, lately,
upon the day of November last, bypast, Malcolm Beg
MacFarlane, in Letter, upon sinister and wrong
information made to us privately obtained our other
letter, subscribed with our hand, without the advice of
our Council, giving and granting him the custody and
keeping of our wood and forest of Glenfinlas, with the
deer, therein, for a certain space, as the same at
length details ; and seeing the same, as we are surely
informed, has ' tendit and tindis,' altogether to our
great hurt and ' lesions,' as also understanding our
trusty cousin and councillor Sir James Stewart of
Doune, knight, and his predecessors are and have been
heritably invested in proper form and heritage in the
keeping of the said wood and forest, and has been in
continual possession thereof, to this hour ; and willing
that our said trusty cousin and councillor be in no wise
hurt nor deprived in his right and place of the said
wood, but rather fortified and assisted therein, for his
better and surer preservation of the same, our will is
therefore, and we charge you straitly and command,
that incontinently these our letters shall pass, and in
our name and authority command and charge the said
Malcolm Beg MacFarlane, Andrew MacFarlane of that
Ilk, and all other pretending keepers of our said wood
and forest, to desist and cease from all further occupa-
tion, ' meUing,' keeping, cutting, or intromitting with
History of Clan MacFarlane
our said wood and forest or any part thereof, within
24 hours next after they be charged by you thereto,
under the pain of rebellion and putting of them to our
horn, and if they fail therein, the said 24 hours being
bypast, that you incontinently thereafter denounce
the disobedience and rebellion, and put them to our
horn, and escheet, and inbring all their movable goods
to our use for their contemptiousness ; and such hke,
that you, in our name and authority pass to the Market
Crosses of our burghs of Stirling, Perth, parish kirk
at Port Kilmadok, and other places needful, and let
there be open proclamation, prohibition, command,
and charge to all and sundry of our lieges and subjects
whom it affects, that they nor none of them take
upon hand to do nor attempt anything contrary to the
tenour of these our letters, nor to answer, obey, or
acknowledge any other forester or keeper of our said
wood than our said trusty cousin, heritable fiar,
aforesaid, and his deputies, under all highest pain and
charge that after may follow, certifying them, that
if they do anything to the contrary, they shall be
punished therefor with all vigour according to law and
conform to j ustice, as you will answer to us thereupon ;
the which to do we commit to you our full power by
these our letters, you delivering them duly executed and
endorsed again to the bearer, Gavin, under our signet
and subscribed with our hand at Hoi yrood- house, the
vii. day of December, and of our reign the xiii. year,
1580.
" JAMES R.
" Lenox. C. E. Ergyll."
John — Fifteenth Chief 99
CHAPTER XVI.
John — 15TH Chief.
1612-1624.
Duke of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
LuDovic— 2nd Duke James VI. ,1567-1625.
JOHN assumed the government of Arrochar in 1612.
The character of the son of the hero of Langside,
is difficult to estimate. He comes down to us as
a gentleman of great piety, but that must have been a
development of his later years. In his prime, he was,
without doubt, of a most fiery and dominant nature,
fierce and hasty of temper. Probably many of our
readers will agree with our estimate when they have
read his chronicle, that he was soured early in life by his
first unfortunate marriage, and that repentance and
grace came to him with his fourth matrimonial venture.
John, as we have indicated, married four times.
His first wife was Susanna, daughter of George
Buchanan of that Ilk. She had no children, and as
we have seen he divorced her. His second wife was
Lady Helen Stewart, daughter of Francis, Earl of
Bothwell, the madcap Earl. His heir, Walter, was
born of that union. Thirdly, he married Elizabeth
Campbell, a daughter of the family of Argyle, by whom
he had four sons, Duncan, who died unmarried,
Andrew of Drumfad, John, ancestor of the Glenralloch
MacFarlanes, and George, ancestor of the MacFarlanes
of Clachan. His fourth wife was Margaret, daughter
of James Murray of Strowan and she had no children.
On the 13th June, 1614, John, Earl of Mar, became
surety for John MacFarlane, " then of Arrochar," that
100 History of Clan MacFarlane
he should appear on 3rd day of the next Justice- Aire
of Dumbarton to underiie the law for the same crimes
as have previously been mentioned. Dougall MacCoull
MacFarlane was also named and the indictment included
some later liftings of Colquhoun cattle, to wit, " For
stealing of 70 cows and oxen belonging to Alexander
Colquhoun of Luss, Robert Mac Walter, etc., from the
lands of Glenmulloche, Immerstachin and Drum
Macnilling, in the month of June, 1602. Item, for the
stealing of six score cows and oxen in the month of
July, 1602, out of the lands of Glenfinglas, belonging
to the said Alexander Colquhoun of Luss, John Laing,
Thos. McGHfadrick, and Patrick Colquhoun."
Duncan, John's second son, seems to have taken
after his father in his warlike proclivities as the
following narrative from the manuscript of the Rev.
James Dewar, M.A., bears out.
Raid of the Athol Men
" The Athol men were sent by the Regent of Scotland,
on more than one occasion, to pillage Arrochar, and
several battles were fought between them and
MacFarlane, not now on record. On one occasion
they had taken MacFarlane's cattle, and were about
to drive them away from Arrochar. He was at that
time in his house on Eilean-a-vow, and knowing their
superior numbers, did not deem it prudent to land and
oppose them ; his son, Duncan, proposed to row
ashore and gather men enough to hold the Athol men
in check that night, during which time the clan would
be gathered.
" This met with the Chief's approval. There was
then a miU near Port Chapel, where a number of 3^oung
men lounged who lived on the farmers of Ballnich.
They were the sons of men who had been killed in
battle, and were thus maintained. When a farmer
had a meal in the mill, they were privileged to take as
much meal from each sack as they could lift between
John — Fifteenth Chief
the open palms of their two hands, and carry to the
door without scattering any ; if this happened, they
must put the meal back in the sack.
" Duncan MacFarlane went and got these young men,
but they were poorly armed. He knew that the
Athol men would attempt the Ford of Dhuglas. So
Duncan took his men there, and they put clothing on
the stumps of trees, knowing it would be dark when
the Athol men would pass the ford, and hoping by
this stratagem to deceive them with regard to numbers.
When the enemy came in sight, some of them were
going round an eminence, as though they were a
reinforcement, and others with bows and arrows,
were behind the stumps, to frighten the Athol men,
and defend the ford.
" When the enemy came up, they began to shoot at
the clothed stumps, the MacFarlane men shooting
their arrows back to them. They soon discovered
them to be their own arrows. It was dark, and fearing
an ambush, they did not attempt the ford, but retired
up Strath- du-daning to a place called Grianach, three
miles from Loch Sloy, where the Chief of the Mac-
Farlane had hunting- houses. They went into one and
spent the night, killing four cows and roasting the flesh
for their suppers. They made merry with songs until
late at night, when they laid down to sleep without
posting sentinels.
" Duncan MacFarlane, with his men, was watching
them, and when all was still, they tied the doors on the
outside, and set fire to the house, burning it with all
the Athol men in it. The forest about the house was
also burned and much valuable timber destroyed.
" Duncan retired to Eilean-a-vow, and reported
what he had done, but his father did not believe him,
and sent two trusty messengers to reconnoitre, who
returned, confirming Duncan's story. The father was
so angry that he drove him from home, and he was ever
after called Black Duncan.
History of Clan MacFarlane
" Among the ruins of the burned house were found
sixty swords, many battle-axes and as many arrowheads
as would fill a peck measure. Arrochar people long
feared that the Athol men would come to be revenged,
but they never again molested the Clan MacFarlane."
The account of these incidents by the Reverend H. S.
Winchester differs somewhat from that of Mr. Dewar,
Mr. Winchester writes : —
"Duncan was the instigator of a cruel deed which
earned for him the name — given by his own father —
' Donach dubh na dunach ' {i.e., Black Duncan
of the mischief). A message arrived one evening
from the watcher at Tighvechtan (the watch house)
that a number of Lochaber men laden with booty
were approaching Glenloin. Duncan who got the
message, kept the news to himself, and going to
the meal mill at Portachuple, where the young men
used to gather in the evenings, he selected twenty
stout fellows and made for the ford at Coire-ghrogain.
Arriving there before the Lochaber men, he dressed up
the stump of a tree to represent a man in armour, while
he himself stood concealed on a knoll near at hand with
his men close behind him. By the time the Lochaber
men came up, it was growing dark, and mistaking the
dressed-up stump for the leader of a party which was
about to contest the ford, they began shooting arrows
at it. Duncan waited until he thought their stock of
arrows must be pretty well exhausted, and then he and
his men rushed towards the ford, picked up the arrows,
and shot them back with telling effect.
" Deeming it vain to force the passage, the Lochaber
men made a pretence of retiring, but really pursued
their journey up the stream by a very rugged and
difficult route on the south side. When they had
rounded the head of Loch Sloy, and entered the valley
beyond, seeing no trace of the foe, and being exhausted
Mdth their trying journey, they halted and partook of
some food. The night was cold, and as no signs of
John — Fifteenth Chief 103
pursuit could be seen or heard, they crept into a small
wooden hut which then stood on the border of the forest
of Scots firs which covered the country, and which was
used for storing the winter's fuel. Duncan, however,
had followed them, he had watched their movements
at a safe distance, and after waiting until he felt sure
that the tired Lochaber men must be fast asleep, he
and his men crept stealthily to the hut, secured the
door, and heaping dry brushwood around the wooden
structure, set fire to the whole. The hut was soon in a
blaze, and when daylight came, all that could be
discovered of the Lochaber men was the heads of their
axes, and the blades of their dirks. But the fire burnt
more than the hut ; it caught the heather and the
forest, and it swept everj^hing before it, leaving
scarcely a tree standing or a tuft of heather between
Loch Sloy and Garabal marsh."
Fraser gives us yet another variation with an
interesting sequel : —
" Glenfalloch, which bounds the barony of Arrochar
on the North, was the natural pass for the people of
Athole into Arrochar on their way to the lower grounds
in Menteith and Stirling, and many anecdotes are still
current among the inhabitants of Arrochar of the
raids of the Athole men on their ancestors. On one
occasion the Athole men made a descent on Arrochar,
and plundered the castle of the MacFarlanes on
Eilean-a-vow, in the absence of the Chief and his
retainers. On the return of the MacFarlane Chief,
Duncan Dhu, or Black Duncan, his son, pursued and
overtook the invaders in a shooting lodge in Staduish,
which is a glen between Loch Sloy and the river Falloch.
While the men of Athole were enjoying themselves with
their plunder, Duncan Dhu and his party fastened the
door of the shooting lodge and set it on fire. The fire
consumed both the lodge and the invaders, and
spreading, it reduced to ashes a large tract of the
native Scotch fir trees with which the mountains were
104 History of Clan MacFarlane
then covered. Along these mountains roots of fir
trees, charred with burning, are still quite common.
The shepherds, in place of candles, use these charred
stumps, which, from the rosin, similar to turpentine,
contained in the wood, makes a very good light.
' " On hearing of the conflagration, the father of
Black Duncan, who foresaw that the enemy would be
avenged, said to him : ' A bloody son you'll be to me.'
As he had foreboded, three of the Athole men,
friends of those who were burned, returned to Arrochar
to avenge their death. Proceeding in search of
Duncan Dhu, they found him — though ignorant of
who he was, as he was personally unknown to them —
engaged in splitting a log of wood on an island in the
bay near Doune, in Lochlomond, called Eilean-a-ghoar.
They asked him whether he knew the whereabouts of
Black Duncan for that day. ' If you are very anxious,'
he answered, ' to see him, I will go and point out where
he is, if you will only wait a httle and assist me with my
work,' — at the same time exacting from them an oath
that they would never reveal his information. Direct-
ing the Athole men to catch the log, which was partly
split at one end, he made use of their strength in
tearing it up, and while tightening the wedge, he
struck it out of the log, which closed upon their hands,
and held them fast like a vice. Having them now
completely in his power, he vociferated, ' Here is
Duncan Dhu ! What do you want with him ? ' He
then coolly killed all the three men ; and from this
desperate deed the small island is still called Eilean-a-
Ghoar (the Bloody Island)."
Mr. Winchester gives us an account of another of
Black Duncan's exploits in the Uglas valley, as
follows: —
" Being informed that a small party were driving
' cattle up Glenloin, Black Duncan waited their arrival
between the ford of Coire-Ghroggain and Loch Sloy,
at the place where the foot-path passes between two
John — Fifteenth Chief 105
stones which meet at a few feet from the ground, so
that in passing through you have to bend forward in
order to prevent your head from striking the top of
this natural archway. Duncan and one of his men
took up their positions on each side of this narrow
passage, but quite concealed from those coming, and
as the head of each man appeared beyond the stones,
Duncan brought down his claymore with such force
and skill as to sever the head from the body, while his
companion pulled the body from the passage to keep
it clear. Several were thus despatched before those
behind perceived the stratagem, and then they were
attacked by Duncan and his men who lay in ambush,
and put to flight."
Apparently John, after his feud with the Colquhouns,
went to war with the Buchanans, for we read that in
16 19, John Darleith, with many Colquhouns,
Drummonds, Lindsay of BalHol, Bunten of Ardoch,
Galloway in Kilmaronock, and others, assisted the
MacFarlanes in their feud with the Buchanans. This
may have been an outcome of the divorcing of his un-
faithful wife of that name, but as that event occurred
some 27 years previously it does not seem likely except
that Highland revenges were long nursed, waiting
opportunity.
On the 28th February, 1622, John MacFarlane of
Arrochar, with consent of Walter MacFarlane, his son
and heir- apparent, for certain sums of money paid to
him, sold to Andrew MacFarlane, lawful son of Andrew
M'Coull MacFarlane, Blairvyok, without reversion,
and confirmed to him, the lands of Gortane, in the
lordship and barony of Luss, parish of Roseneath, and
shire of Dumbarton, to be held of the granter and his
heirs- male.
John, as we have said, is stated to have been a
gentleman of great piety. "He built an almshouse at
Bruitford on the mainland opposite to his castle on the
island called Eilean-a-vow, for the reception of poor
io6 History of Clan MacFarlane
passengers who might happen to require shelter in
visiting or passing through the district. This he
endowed with competent revenues to provide the
travellers with all necessities and accommodation. On
the front of the almshouse was handsomely cut in stone
his armorial bearings, with party per pale, baron and
femme, three mullets being the arms of Margaret
Murray, his fourth wife.
" The almshouse referred to no longer exists, although
at a place opposite Eilean-a-vow, on the mainland, the
wall tracks of a house can yet be traced. The spot is
called Croit a' phuirt, generally pronounced Crutyforst
or Crutafoorst. It means the croft of the landing, or
where persons embark and disembark from a small
boat."
In 1624, which may have been in John's time (he is
said to have died towards the end of the reign of
James VI., 1625), or that of his successor, many of the
clan were tried and convicted of theft and robbery.
Some were pardoned and a number were removed to
the uplands of Aberdeenshire, and to Strathaven in
Banffshire, where they assumed the names of Stewart,
M'Condy, Greisck, Maclnnes, Mac James, etc.
Macfarlane-Buchanan Vendetta.
One of those crimes which may have been an incident
of the Buchanan feud already referred to is detailed in
the records of the Court of Session of June 6th, 1623,
under the title of, " Slauchter of Duncane MacFarlane
by Buchanans." The young laird of MacFarlane
referred to, we judge to have been Walter, John's
eldest son and the next Chief. Shorn, as far as possible,
of its archaic language, the record runs as follows : —
" The same day anent the accusation at the instance
of Robert and Thomas MacFarlane as brothers to the
late Duncan MacFarlane, son to the late Andrew
MacFarlane of Bunessan, charging George Buchanan
of Gartincaber, John Buchanan, his son ; Patrick
John — ^Fifteenth Chief 107
Buchanan, son of George Buchanan of Auchmar ;
John Beg Buchanan of BalKndewar, John Buchanan,
his son ; Thomas Buchanan of Drougie and Archibald
Buchanan, his brother, to appear personally this day
and place to underly the law before His Majesty's
Justice for art and part in the slaughter of the said
Duncan MacFarlane, committed upon the sixth day of
April, 1622, within the toune of Kippienoche in
Drummond in the Lennox, in the form and manner
specified in the said accusation. Appearing personally
the said Robert MacFarlane as brother with the young
laird of MacFarlane, and Mr. David Primrose, Advocate
as Prelor for them — and Sir William Oliphant of
Newtoun, Knight Advocate to our sovereign Lord for
his hienes intreis — and producing the said criminal
charge duly executed and undersate upon all the
defendants above stated and offer themselves ready to
pursue, etc. — ^Together with Mr. Robert Nairn,
Advocate, his Prelocutor, who produced a warrant
and command to the Justice regarding the con-
tinuation of this diet to the 13th day of June, directed
by the Lords of the Secret Council and subscribed by
my Lord Chancellor of the date the 5th day of June,
proceeding upon a supplication, etc., of the which
supplication and warrant upon the back thereof the
tenour is as follows : —
' My Lords of Secret Council, unto your Lord-
ships we, your humble servants, discover and show
(names of Buchanans again detailed) that while
the 6th of June is appointed unto us for our
appearance before the Justice to underly the law
for the slaughter of the late Duncan MacFarlane,
son to the late Andrew Moir MacFarlane in
Kypnoche when the Justice intends to proceed
against us in the said matter, but were your
Lordships acquainted of a verity of the certain
truth of this business, how and upon what occasion
the slaughter fell out and what occasions of wrath
io8 History of Clan MacFarlane
and displeasure was given us therein we are
persuaded that your Lordships in honour and
justice would not think this prosecution to merit
any favour.
' The truth is that the said deceased Andrew
Moir MacFarlane during the whole course of his
unhappy life was known to be a notorious thief
and villain. Having stolen some goods froni
certain of his Majesty's good subjects in the
Lennox, some four or five years since or thereby,
and the said late William Buchanan, out of his
true hatred and detestation of such thieving doings,
having made some inquiries and having taken
pains and trouble to find the goods, in the end
traced them to have been stolen by the said late
Andrew Moir MacFarlane, who by course of j ustice
was compelled to make restitution. For this
Andrew Moir MacFarlane conceived a deadly
hatred and mahce against the said deceased
William Buchanan and resolved out of the pride
and malice of his wicked heart to be revenged upon
him after the most detestable and cruel manner
that the heart of him could devise. Knowing that
the gentleman was accustomed at times for his
recreation and pastime to hunt on the moor above
the Ducher, he chose that occasion to do his turns.
Accompanied by his two sons and seven or eight
utterly lawless villains, MacFarlane lay in wait for
the gentleman. Buchanan came about eight
o'clock in the morning without any company but
four sporting dogs. The MacFarlanes seized him
and bound him so that he could not stir.
" Having consulted together after what form
and manner they should dispatch him, in the end
they resolved that his presumption and malapert-
ness in discovering the goods deserved an extra-
ordinary and unaccustomed death by torture which
they made him undergo, during the space of ten
hours, in the following manner : —
John — Fifteenth Chief 109
' They bound him fast to a tree at the said hour
of eight in the morning and every hour thereafter
until six at night, making ten hours, they gave him
three cruel stabs with a dirk in such parts of his
body where the wounds would not be fatal.
Having mangled him in this way with thirty
strokes until the full number of ten hours was
outrun they then gave the last deadly blow at the
heart when he fell dead to the ground. Having
stripped him naked, because his tongue was the
instrument whereby as they alleged he had
offended in enquiring out the hiding places of the
goods, they cut his throat, took his tongue out of
his head, slew his four dogs, cutting one of their
tongues out and putting it in the gentleman's
mouth and put his tongue in the dog's mouth.
Not content with this atrocity, but the further to
satisfy their inhuman and barbarous cruelty upon
the naked corpse, they slit open his belly, took out
his entrails and put them into one of the dogs and
put the dogs entrails into the gentleman's body.
So they left him lying naked and the four dogs
about him. It was eight days ere he was found.
For this detestable butchery and murder these
villains being called to their trial before His
Majesty's Justice they, ' took the crime upon them
and passed to the home,' where the said Andrew
Moir remained to the hour of his death and the
rest of his accomplices still remain. Against them
your Lordship passed an ample commission for the
pursuit of them with fire and sword.
' Where this detestable and more than barbarous
murder should have bred in the heart and con-
science of this villain some remorse and feeling for
this sin and an abstinence and forbearance from
all further impiety, yet the said Andrew continued
in his accustomed trade of theft, reif and oppression
and never could be reclaimed therefrom till the
no History of Clan MacFarlane
hour of his death. In his last theft, a little before
his death, he stole an ox from me, the said George
Buchanan, and carried the same to a house where
he and his wife were accustomed to receive stolen
goods. As soon as we learned of the theft of the
ox we followed the trail, directly, towards the said
house, and sent for the officer of the Earl of Perth
to assist us in searching the houses thereabouts.
The villain and his son being in the house before
mentioned, began to fear capture. They there-
upon disguised themselves in women's clothing
and tried to escape without being perceived. We,
thinking they kept not the ordinary pace of
women and yet noways suspecting that they were
the villains we sought, followed softly to observe
which way they took.
' The said Duncan MacFarlane, looking over
his shoulder and seeing that we followed him,
turned and pointed a long hacquebut at us. He
fired, but by the providence of God the gun
misgave. With that he and his father drew their
swords and drove in upon us with all their force.
Before we could defend ourselves they gave me,
the said George Buchanan, a deadly stroke and I
fell senseless to the ground. The rest of my
company thought I was a dead man. They
wounded three others of us. Unable any longer to
restrain ourselves, we took to our just and lawful
defence, when the unhappy villain was justly
slain, and his son, who unfortunately was in com-
pany with him and who made the first onset with
his hacquebut, ere ever we knew who he was, was
likewise killed.
' The father was killed for the murder aforesaid
and he and his whole family are the most notorious
villains of that clan. However it may be charged
on the part of the young man that he was not
accessory to the murder aforesaid and that he
John — Fifteenth Chief hi
should not be punished for his father's deed, it is
the truth that continually since the father was
declared a rebel for the murder aforesaid the said
Duncan and his son remained and attended upon
him, was art and part with him in all his thieving
and wicked deeds, and assisted and took part with
his father against us in our just and lawful defence,
was slain, at whose hykewalk that night the ox
aforesaid, stolen by the father and the son was
slain and eaten.
' This being the true and simple statement of
all that has passed in this business we humbly
present the same to your Lordships consideration
whereby your Lordships may perceive how
' misshantlie ' and barbarously the innocent and
harmless gentleman was murdered and slain and
what was the ground and occasion of the sub-
sequent slaughters.
' Since there is great likelihood of disorder
arising to the disturbance and breaking of the
peace of the country with the Clan MacFarlane
going about their private revenge and our friends,
on their part, being careful of their own defence,
we humbly beseech your Lordships to take such
course and order concerning this matter as your
Lordships shall think most fit for the peace of the
country, etc.
' Apud Halirnidhous, 6th June, 1623.' "
" The Lords ordain and command the Justice to
continue the diet, within written, to the 13th day of
June, and ordain their petitioners to make offers to the
party and to present the offer to the young laird of
MacFarlane if he be in the town, and to the special
friends attending this diet whom the said Lords ordain
to remain in Edinburgh until some decision be taken
for settling the matter within written and for the peace
and quietness of the country, etc."
112 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER XVII.
Walter — i6th Chief.
1624- 1664.
Dukes of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
LuDovic, 2nd Duke. James VI., 1567-1625.
EsME, 3rd Duke. . Charles I., 1625-1649.
James, 4th Duke. The Commonwealth, 1649-1660.
Charles II., 1660-1685.
YVTALTER, the son of John, was a Cavaher, loyally
W devoted to the cause of the Stuarts. He
suffered greatly for his attachment to Charles I.,
but no losses could shake his fidelity to his party. He
was with "The Great Marquis" of Montrose in his
hurricane campaign of 1644-45, and the wild pibroch
of the Clan, " Thogail nam Bo " inspired the RoyaHsts
in many a Highland battle.
For joining the standard of Montrose, Walter was
fined 3,000 merks Scots, but throughout the Common-
wealth he remained an irreconcilable king's man.
In Cromwell's time, he was twice besieged in his house,
and his castle of Inveruglas was afterwards burned
down by the English. In the burning of Inveruglas,
several of the ancient writs of the family were consumed.
Walter married Margaret, a daughter of Sir James
Semple of Beltrees, Renfrewshire, one of the gentlemen
of the bedchamber to James VI., and who was Scottish
Ambassador to the Court of England, in 1599. They
had two sons and one daughter, John, who succeeded
as 17th Chief, Andrew of Ardess, who succeeded as
i8th Chief, and Giles who married Adam Colquhoun of
Glens. Walter died in 1664.
The story of the " Burning of MacFarlane's Forest "
Walter — Sixteenth Chief 113
occurred in Walter's time. From the date, 1640, this
devoted RoyaHst was obviously the chief concerned,
and the act of heroism is quite in accordance with his
reputed character. The forest in question extended
from Loch Lomond to Ben Laoigh. Twenty-five miles
round, it was the favourite hunting ground of the Chiefs
of MacFarlane.
The following is taken from Sir F. Dick Lander's
" Wanderings in the Highlands." This narrative has
been abridged from some fifty pages or more, and is
taken from a letter written by William Charles
MacFarlane of the Kenmore or Muckroy family in
1837 to his brother, Captain James Duncan MacFarlane.
W. C. MacFarlane was then at St. Edmund's Hall,
Oxford.
The Burning of the Forest.
" One fair evening as the Laird was musing most
enjoyably upon the hill looking upon Arroquar, Loch
Long, and a fair forest extending some 25 miles, his
attention was drawn to one Angus MacFarlane, head
shepherd to the Laird, and the fair Ellen whom Angus
was about to marry. She was weeping. The Laird,
who ever wished to be the father of his people, enquired
the cause of her grief ; she told him that it arose from
a vision she had seen the previous evening, of the
forest aU burning, and by the dim glare had distinctly
seen the figure of the Laird bearing on his shoulders
the dead body of her beloved Angus.
" Now it happened that this evening Angus had
left the castle to come and see his own dearie, Ellen.
They had not long retired to rest when tidings were
brought that the cattle were harried. Angus im-
mediately suspected the Lochaber men of having
committed this depredation, nor was he mistaken.
" As swift as an eagle, he pursued them and tracked
them into the thickest fastnesses of the forest, and sent
tidings to the Laird, who instantly ordered the
Gathering to be played. ' Loch Sloy — Loch Sloy '
H
114 History of Clan MacFarlane
sounded on all sides, and his followers were soon about
him, and meeting Angus's messengers on the way, they
soon reached the spot where Angus was on the look out.
Seeing a figure move, the henchman was on the point
of firing, when MacFarlane held his hand and in an
undertone challenged the person as follows : —
" ' Where grew your bow and how is it drawn ? '
" * It grew in the Isles of Loch Lomond, and is
drawn for Loch Sloy,' was the reply of the well known
voice of Angus.
" The Laird, who was a very brave and cautious
leader, and showed on the occasion his fitness for the
command of such a gallant band, gave such orders that
the hovel where the Lochaber men were resting, was
surrounded. Four of the bravest and most active
young men were sent forward to give timely intimation
of any movement of the enemy.
" On one occasion Angus was seen to draw his bow
in the direction of the Laird. He was instantly felled
by his too zealous kinsfolk on suspicion of treason, but
his quick eye had descried within a few paces of the
Laird a Lochaber man with his dirk drawn and ready
to plunge into the bosom of his Chief. The Lochaber
man fell at the Laird's feet, and Angus had thus the
satisfaction of saving his hfe. He was only stunned
by the blow and soon recovered.
" In the meantime the cattle recognised them and set
up a tremendous bellowing with wonted sounds on
such occasions. This roused the Lochaber men, but
seeing nothing, they were soon lulled into repose.
When all was again quiet, the MacFarlanes advanced,
and the Laird gave the signal of attack by shooting
the sentinel who leapt into the air and fell weltering
in his blood. The attack began on all sides, and the
MacFarlanes soon repulsed the ingrates who barricaded
the door, and thus offered a temporary resistance.
The laird, forgetful of old Marjory's vision, seized a
burning faggot and set fire to the hovel, and the poor
Walter — Sixteenth Chief 115
Lochaber men were soon burned to death. The Laird
reflected that he might have shown mercy, but it was
too late.
" A violent hurricane arose at the same time, and
the flames soon communicated to the adjoining forest.
The poor cattle alone burst through the flames and
escaped destruction. The MacFarlanes were sur-
rounded on all sides, and were obUged to lie down in a
pool of water to preserve themselves from being burnt.
They were soon obliged to quit this place of refuge,
and were scattered in all directions. The Laird,
accompanied by the faithful Angus, pursued their way
for some time, till at length the Laird was knocked
down by a falling brand and swooned away.
" When he came to himself he saw poor Angus lying
under a great tree which had fallen on him. He cut
away with his broadsword the intervening trunk and
at last succeeded in extricating his lifeless body. The
Laird had no time for consideration, but putting the
body on his shoulders, bore him away into that
mournful soHtude. He had not proceeded far when he
met the distracted Ellen who on seeing the body of her
future husband, fell down and expired at his feet.
The Laird hesitated a moment whether he should leave
the bodies where they were to be burnt to ashes, or
carrying them on his shoulders, expose himself,
already sinking from fatigue, to the devouring element
which was fast approaching him. He nobly chose the
latter, and placing one corpse on each shoulder,
trudged on. At length, almost exhausted, he fell in
with a party of his followers, who relieved him of his
burden, and soon after they reached a place of safety.
" What a mournful gathering was that to behold !
Nothing but flames extending as far as the eye could
reach. The very deer coming for refuge, and seeking
for protection from man.
" Thus was the vision of old Marjory fully and dread-
fully realised."
ii6 History of Clan MacFarlane
MacFarlane, as we have said, was a faithful follower
of the great Montrose, and the Clan formed the van-
guard of his forces, which penetrated through the
mountains amid snowdrifts to the music of "Thogail
nam Bo," and fell upon the army of Argyle at
Inverlochy, inflicting upon it a severe defeat, in 1645.
A large number of MacFarlanes seem to have
adopted the Grahams of Montrose as their Chief, and
to have settled in the parish of Buchanan, in StirUng-
shire. In an island of Loch Lomond (Inchcaillioch)
there is a joint burying place of the Grahams and
MacFarlanes.
That Walter was like his fathers, a prominent
Scottish churchman, is shown by the following incident,
which speaks for itself.
For marrying Sir John Colquhoun, i6th of Luss, to
Margaret BailHe \vithout due proclamation of banns,
and other irregularities, Mr. McLauchlan the minister
at Luss was deposed from the office of the Holy
ministry. This was on 26th December, 1648. On
23rd January, 1649, the Covenant was renewed in the
Parish Church of Luss. The following is the extract
from the minutes of the Presbytery of Dumbarton : —
" Concerning the vacant church of Luss, and
renewing of the Covenant there, IMr. David Elphinstone,
Mr. Archd. McLean, and Mr. John Stewart are
appointed to repair to the said kirk on Wednesday
come eightdays for keeping of the Fast, and the said
Mr. David to preach before noon, and Mr. Archd,
McLean, afternoon, in the Irish language and betwixt
the sermons the said, Mr. David and Mr. John Stewart
are to go on, on the trial of the parish, conform to
order, and Mr. John Stewart to read the solemn
engagement and Covenant after the first sermon, and
Mr. Archd. McLean to renew the Covenant on the
Sabbath thereafter, and GilHsh McArthur, Clerk to the
Session, is ordained to have the parishioners duly
advised to keep the Fast at the said kirk, and especially
Walter — Sixteenth Chief 117
to advise the Laird of MacFarlane to have his people of
the Arrochar present, and the said Mr. David to
intimate the vacancy of the place."
The itaUcs are ours.
We regret we have been unable to find any particulars
of the campaign of the Commonwealth troops in the
Arrochar country, with the twice besieging of Walter
in his house, which may have been at Tarbert or the
castle on Eilean-a-vow, and the burning of Inveruglas,
but certain inferences may be drawn from the following
extracts from the Colquhoun chronicles : —
" At the beginning of 1654 Ross Dhu was defended by
John Dennistoun of Colgrain (Dennistoun M.S.) who
had obtained from Wm. Earl of Glencaim, Commander-
in-Chief of the Royalist troops in Scotland, com-
missions in November and December, 1653. But when
Dennistoun marched northward from Rossdhu with
the Lennox Fencibles, the castle fell into the hands of a
party of Cromwell's soldiers from Glasgow, under the
command of Lt.-Col. Cottrell. It was recovered soon
afterwards by the royaHsts, under the command of the
Laird of MacNaughton and the eldest son of Sir George
Maxwell of Newark. They were again forced to
abandon it by a troop of Cromwell's horse under
Colonel Cooper.
" In the same year General Middleton, after having
been appointed by Charles the Second on the resigna-
tion of the Earl of Glencairn, General and Commander-
in-Chief of the royalist forces in Scotland, visited
Rossdhu when proceeding with the main body of the
army, which was then in Sutherland, through the
Highlands southward for the purpose of strengthening
it by new recruits. His army was refreshed at Ross Dhu
and increased in number, but, notwithstanding, he
was defeated by Cromwell's troops at Lochnair, on
the 26th of July, following. Cromwell's Act of Grace
to the people of Scotland was granted in this year."
ii8 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER XVni.
John — 17TH Chief.
1664- 1679.
Dukes of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
Charles, 5th Duke. Charles II., 1660-1685.
Frances, His Duchess.
JOHN married Grizel, daughter of Sir Colin Lamond
of that Ilk. Her mother was Beatrice, a daughter
of Lord Sample. If Sir James Semple, whose
daughter was John's mother, and this Lord Semple are
the same, then John married his cousin on the distaff
side. The pair had no son, but three daughters, Jean
married to John Buchanan of Lenie, in 1666, Giles,
whose husband was Alexander M' Mill an of Dunmore,
in 1667, and Grizel, who married Archibald Buchanan
of Torie, in 1673.
On the death of Grizel, John married Anne, a
daughter of CampbeU of Duntroon, who was the widow
of " The Captain of Carrick," By her also he had
three daughters, who all married.
The above dates rather indicate that John lived
later than the Battle of Bothwell Bridge (1679).
The Clan of MacFarlane formed a detachment of
the Duke of Monmouth's army, and it is stated were
amongst the first in storming the gateway through
which the guards charged.
Sir Walter Scott in "Old Mortality" quotes the
incident : —
" The defence made by the Covenanters was so
1
% rM':
^
^1
i
i; 3
3 ^2;
■5 ^
John — Seventeenth Chief 119
protracted, and obstinate, that the royal generals
began to fear that it might be successful. While
Monmouth threw himself from his horse and ralljdng
the Foot Guards, brought them on to another close
and desperate attack, he was warmly seconded by
General Thomas Dalziel, who, putting himself at the
head of a body of Lennox Highlanders, rushed forward
with their tremendous war cry ' Loch Sloy ! ' This
was the slogan or war cry of the MacFarlanes, taken
from a lake near the head of Loch Lomond, in the
centre of their ancient possessions on the western banks
of that beautiful inland sea."
As John had no son, he was succeeded by his brother
Andrew of Ardess (near Rowardennan) . This is the
first occasion upon which the succession of Chiefs was
other than from father to son over a period of four
hundred and fifty years.
The first proposal for Arrochar becoming a
separate parish, with its own church and glebe, was
made in 1648. This was in the time of Walter, i6th
Chief, who made the suggestion, but as John dealt
A^ith the matter and signed the engagement, we have
included the reference here.
From the great extent of the parish of Luss, it had
long been considered desirable that the lands of
Arrochar, which were the most northerly part of it,
should be separated and formed into a distinct parish.
The Presbytery of Dumbarton brought the matter
before the Council of Estate in Scotland, and on a
petition and recommendation from the Presbytery,
by an order dated Holyrood House, 24th December,
1658, appointed Robert Hamilton of Barnes and others
to be their Commissioners, to call before them all
parties interested in the dismembering of the lands of
Arrochar from the parish of Luss, and in the erection
of a new church at Tar bet, with a manse and the
provision of a glebe for the minister, and if they found
a general concurrence, that all parties concerned should
120 History of Clan MacFarlane
forthwith proceed to the building of a church and
manse and to the providing of a glebe, conformably to
the Act of ParHament. To this proposal Sir John
Colquhoun had always been favourable, and he had
frequently expressed his readiness to concur in the
furtherance of so good a work. To carry out the views
of the Presbytery of Dumbarton and the Government,
he, on 25th January, 1659, subscribed a bond to denude
himself of the sum of 400 merks yearly, payable by the
Laird of MacFarlane for the tithes of his lands of
Arrochar and 15 bolls teind meal, payable forth of the
lands in Arrochar (Stuckgown) belonging to Walter
MacFarlane of Gartartan, in favour of the minister of
Tarbet and his successors in all time coming, and to be
upUfted by the hrst minister after his entry to the
ministry at Tarbet.
John MacFarlane, fiar of Arrochar, is stated also to
have been favourable to the division of the parish of
Luss, and granted a bond also dated 25th January,
1659, binding himself to cause, begin, finish and perfect
the building of a new kirk with a manse for the
minister of Tarbet, and also to give and mortify a
competent glebe, under the pain of 3,000 merks Scots,
to be uplifted by the Presbytery of Dumbarton and
employed by them for pious uses, within the said lands
of Arrochar, " seriously entreating the said Com-
missioners and all parties concerned forthwith to
proceed in all points, conform to the said order " of the
Council of Estate in Scotland. From Fraser we take
the following, in this connection :
"Not only was the church (at Luss) inadequate for
the population, but it was extremely inconvenient for
the parishioners in the bounds of Arrochar, in its
northern part, who, from their distance, could not
attend the church, especially during the winter months.
It was therefore lelt to be very desirable to form these
lands into a separate parish. In 1648, the matter
was brought under the consideration of the Presbj^tery
John — Seventeenth Chief
of Dumbarton by MacFarlane, the Laird of Arrochar,
who, being the only heritor within the lands to be
disjoined, with the exception of MacFarlane of Gar-
tartan, offered to defray the expenses of building a
church and manse, and to provide a glebe for the new
parish.
" In 1649, ^^^ ^^^ parish was perambulated by the
Presbytery, who selected the site of the church at
West Tarbet. But for many years after this nothing
practical was done. At the end of the year 1658, the
Presbytery laid the case before the Council of Estate in
Scotland, who, in compUance with the request of the
Presbytery, appointed commissioners to summon
before them, and to hear parties interested in the
disj unction of the lands of Arrochar from the parish of
Luss, and in the erection of a new church at Tarbet, with
a manse, and the provision of a glebe for the minister.
Favourable to the object proposed. Sir John Colquhoun
of Luss, by a bond dated 25th January, 1659, became
bound to denude himself of the tithes of the lands of
Arrochar, and John MacFarlane, fiar of Arrochar,
bound himself, by a bond of the same date, to erect a
church and manse, and to provide a competent glebe.
But these arrangements were not yet brought to a
practical issue. In 1676, another perambulation of
the new parish, by the Presbytery of Dumbarton, took
place. The following is the minute of Presbytery
narrating this perambulation : —
" Presbytery Dumbarton at Tarbet,
September 10, 1678.
" Sederunt — Moderator, Messrs. WilHam Andersone,
Arthur Miller, Thomas Allan, James Buchanan,
WiUiam M'Kechnie.
" The brethren foresaid, having met at Lusse, and
travelled al the way from thence to Tarbet, and seen
the bounds to the end of Lochlomond, northward,
sixteen miles distant from the Kirk of Lusse on the one
History of Clan MacFarlane
side, and from Tarbet to the side of Lochlong on the
other side, and seen the bounds to the head of Lochlong,
lying likewise at a great distance from the Kirk of
Lusse, and haveing considered the vastnesse of the
distance, as said is, and ruggedness of the way, finde it
absolutely necessarie that there be a dismembratione,
and a church built at the Tarbet, within the Laird of
MacFarlane's land, for the accommodatione of the
people of these bounds, that the people from the foot
of Glendowglasse, and upward upon the side of
Lochlomond, and from Gorton in the paroch of Row,
to the head of Lochlonge (informed to be about the
number of 400 souls,) may repaire thither to attend the
ordinances, who are now living in ignorance."
The Rev. H. S. Winchester, we think, has grasped
the human aspect of the matter when he writes :
" The MacFarlanes continued to look upon the
erection of a separate parish as a new and unnecessary
intrusion, and the building of a new church as a
needless expense. Luss was their church, the church
of their fathers. True, it was ten miles from Arrochar
and situated, now, within the lands of their enemies,
but it was near enough and convenient enough for all
practical purposes ; for to tell the truth the Mac-
Farlanes seemed to have little use for a church except
for purposes of burial. And so, while the Presbytery
set the ecclesiastical machinery in order, and put in a
minister, and while John MacFarlane had perforce to
pay the stipend, he paid little heed to his promise to
provide a church and manse."
In the year 1679 a threat by the MacDonalds to
invade the Western Highlands was apparently to be
met by a combined force at the gateway to the
Highlands, Tarbet Glen. A number of men were
despatched from the territory of Luss, at the expense
of Sir James Colquhoun, to the head of Loch Long.
This we learn from an account of the intromissions of
John Colquhoun, younger, of Camstradden, with the
John — Seventeenth Chief 123
Laird of Luss's rents of the barony of Luss for that
year, which contain the following entries : —
" Item, to allow to the compter his
expenses in going with a number
of men to the head of Loch Long
to protect the country, the time of
the MacDonalds, at the Laird's Lib. s. d.
special command, .... 040 00 o
" Item, paid to John Colquhoun, officer
at the Laird's command for his
own and two men's charges at the
head of Loch Long, 10 days' time,
keeping the country," - - - 010 00
As early as 1679 the further encroachment of
Colquhoun into the northern Lennox was proceeding,
for we find on the nth of March of that year Sir James
Colquhoun, the i8th of Colquhoun and 20th of Luss
(it was the marriage of a Colquhoun with " the
Heiress of Luss," of the old Lennox stock that brought
the Colquhouns from Kilpatrick to Rossdhu), obtained
a gift of the ward and non-entries of the lands which
belonged to his deceased father, from the Commissioners
of Frances, Duchess of Lennox, widow of the late
Charles, Duke of Lennox. These included Drumfad,
TulHchintaull and Finart, the first two be it noted the
former lands of the implacable Dougal MacDouill Vic
Neil MacFarlane, whose father was slain by Sir
Humphrey Colquhoun.
124 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER XIX.
Andrew — i8th Chief.
1679-1685.
Earl of Lennox. Scottish Rulers.
Frances, Duchess of Lennox. Charles II., 1660-1685.
James VII.. 1685-1688.
ANDREW of Ardess declared his coat-of-arms in
1672 (Heraldry Office, Edinburgh). This was
previous to his accession to the Chieftainship of
the Clan.
His first wife was Ehzabeth, daughter of John
Buchanan of Ross and Drumakill, by whom he had two
sons, John his heir, and Walter, who died unmarried.
By his second wife, Jean, daughter of Campbell of
Strachan, he had five sons, Andrew, William, Duncan,
Archibald, and another Walter. Andrew, WilHam,
Archibald, and Walter were all officers in the British
Army, the first named being a major. He, Archibald,
and Walter were all killed in the battle of Malplaquet,
September nth, 1709, in the reign of Queen Anne.
William married a daughter of Govan of Buchapel
without surviving issue. Duncan, described as a
Captain, married a French lady by whom he had two
sons. Major James, who married Jean, daughter of
Sir Alexander Forbes of Foveran, and Duncan, who
went to Jamaica and was alive in 1764. In a letter
written by Duncan MacFarlane of Muckroy to his
father, Alexander, second son of James the first Laird
of Muckroy, from Edinburgh, where Duncan was a
merchant, he says, "There is just now in town a
cousin of the Laird of MacFarlane, son to Captain
ARMS OF ANDREW OF ARDESS.
REGISTERED, 1 672.
Andrew succeeded to Chieftainship of Clan MacFarlane in 1679, and apparently
retained his own variation of the Arms ; a sword in the right hand of the
demi-savage in place of a sheaf of arrows, as in the original device.
Andrew — Eighteenth Chief 125
Duncan, come from Jamaica. He goes back again in
Spring." This letter is dated November 23rd, 1764.
Captain Duncan's issue died out, unless the subject
of this letter left a family of which in that case the
present male representative would appear to be the
chief of MacFarlane. The descendants of Andrew of
Ardess are of first importance in any consideration
of the lineal descent. As we have stated,
Andrew had seven sons. The eldest, John,
succeeded his father and his line (the main stem) has
died out. Walter, the second son, died young. Major
Andrew fell at Malplaquet and did not marry. The
fourth son, William, also an officer in the army, married
but left no surviving issue. Captain Duncan the
fifth son had two sons, Captain James and Duncan,
but we do not know, as stated above, whether his son
Duncan, who was alive in 1764, left a family. Failing
male descendants of Duncan there remains only the two
youngest sons of Andrew of Ardess, Archibald and
Walter, They also were kiUed at the battle of
Malplaquet. We do not know if either of them
married and had children, but we have the fact that
Malcolm, the progenitor of the Hunston House family,
in Ireland, is claimed to be a nephew of their eldest
brother, John, the 19th Chief.
126 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER XX.
John — iqth Chief.
1685-1705.
Scottish Rulers.
James VII., 1685-1688.
William and Mary, 1689-1694.
William, i 689-1 702.
Anne, 1702-1714.
JOHN was chief for about twenty years. In the
reign of James VH. he was in command of 400
of his own men who were ordered to the shire of
Renfrew to keep the peace in that county, but dishking
the conditions of the times, he soon retired and could
never afterwards be prevailed upon to undertake such
a mission. With the landing of the Prince of Orange
he espoused the cause of William and Mary, so that the
clansmen who fought on the side of Claverhouse at
Bothwell Bridge were now opposed to the dashing
Marquis of Dundee.
When the Convention of the Estates sitting at
Edinburgh were alarmed by the news of Dundee
being in arms, John (1688) offered to raise a regiment
of his own men to assist the Government. The
campaign, however, coming to an abrupt close with
the death of Claverhouse at the battle of KiUiecrankie,
the need for MacFarlane's force disappeared. The
Chief was afterwards appointed Colonel of a regiment
of foot. This would be in 1689 or 1690.
John married twice. His first wife was Agnes,
daughter of Sir Hugh Wallace of Woolmot. Their
only son. Andrew, died young.
John — Nineteenth Chief 127
John's second wife was Helen, daughter of Robert,
second Viscount Arbuthnot. They had four sons and
one daughter, Walter, who succeeded as 20th Chief,
Robert, who died young, William, who succeeded as
2 1st Chief, Alexander, and Catherine who died young.
The youngest son, Alexander, entered trade as a
merchant, and settled ultimately in Jamaica. There
he acquired a considerable fortune. He left a large
estate called Large Island, in Jamaica, to his brothers,
and died unmarried, in August, 1755. His position
in the island community will be understood when we
mention that he was one of the assistant judges and a
member of the legislative assembly. He was one of
the best mathematicians of the age, and a Fellow of
the Royal Society. By his will he left to the University
of Glasgow, where he was educated, his valuable
apparatus of astronomical instruments ; and the
Observatory, which was shortly after erected by the
University on Dovehill, was, as a tribute of honour to
his memory for this benefaction, named the MacFarlane
Observatory. His property was inherited by his two
brothers, Walter of Arrochar and Wilham, who
practised as a physician in Edinburgh.
Robert MacFarlane of Brooklyn, whom we have
previously quoted, writes of Alexander : —
"It is a fact that the MacFarlanes were of an
astronomical turn of mind, and, indirectly this led to
the greatest mechanical invention of modern times.
Alexander MacFarlane bequeathed all his instruments
to the University of Glasgow, and James Watt was sent
for, to repair and fit up these instruments in the
MacFarlane Observatory. While thus engaged he
invented the improved steam-engine with the separate
condenser. Watt was a relative of the MacFarlanes,
and in his life, by Muirhead, is the following expression
about Alexander MacFarlane, ' He carried out one of
the mottoes of his family ; the Lord my light ; the
stars my camp.' "
128 History of Clan MacFarlane
In 1697 John built himself a new house at Inverioch,
near Tarbet (Arrochar village) ; a portion of this still
stands forming the rear portion of the present house,
and the commemorative stone retains an honourable
place over l^he portal of the present Arrochar House.
This stone bears the date 1697, the figures separated by
an engraved Scots thistle. Underneath is carved
this inscription : —
"Thugadh a chlach so bho ard dorus an aitreamh:
A THOG EOIN, TRIATH NAM PARLANAICH,
AGUS TiGHEARNA AN ARRATHIR,
AIR CULTHAOBH AN TIGHE SO,
ANN SA BHLIADHNA ATA SGRIOBHTE ORRA."
A free translation of this Gaelic is the following : —
" This stone was taken from the main entrance of the
house built by John, Chief of the MacFarlanes and
Laird of Arrochar, in the year inscribed upon it."
The Hunston House MacFarlanes possess a painting
of which the old house is the subject.
John died, 13th May, 1705, and during his lifetime
apparently he had building enough on his hands
without troubling about his obligations in regard to
the church and manse for the minister. For there had
been a minister ever since 1658, the Rev. Archibald
MacLachlan, but he demitted his charge in 1701, on
the grounds of " infirmities of body and various
secular discouragements," which last consisted in the
want of a church, manse and glebe. There was no
one pining to succeed the Rev. Archibald MacLachlan
in this barren parish. We dip once more into
Mr. Winchester's racy narrative for his estimate of the
situation : —
" A very interesting sidelight is thrown on these
times by the records of the Presbytery of Dumbarton,
and of the Synod of Glasgow. In 1702 the people of
Arrochar wished to get rid of their minister — the Rev.
John MacLachlan. Perhaps they had never taken
t-i cj
O o
w ^
John — Nineteenth Chief 129
kindly to a resident minister, and perhaps the Rev.
John, by his irregular conduct and his neglect of duty,
afforded them some grounds for their discontent ; at
anyrate the parishioners brought before the Presbytery
a Hbel against their minister, and prayed to have him
removed. But the Presbytery of Dumbarton were
not willing to deal harshly with an offending brother,
and so they sought to ease the situation by appointing
an assistant to help him. Now, the assistant whom
they chose for this purpose was one Robert MacFarlane,
one of their own bursars or poor scholars. But
probably Robert knew too much about Arrochar to be
willing to fill the place, and he decHned to come. The
Presbytery insisted, and Robert appealed to the
Synod. After considering the whole position, the
Synod determined that Robert MacFarlane must obey
the call of the Presbytery and take up duty in Arrochar,
unless he can prove, as he alleges, ' that there is neither
kirk, nor manse, nor kirk session, nor school in the
parish.'
" Robert proved to the satisfaction of the Synod that
there was none of these things, and while he had to
take up duty in the parish, he was declared to be
' transplantable,' and in due course he was trans-
planted to Fintry (in 1705)."
We read elsewhere that —
" In the MacFarlane burying-ground in the church-
yard of Luss is a tombstone over the grave of Mr.
Archd. MacLachlan, the first minister of Arrochar, with
the following inscription : — ' Here lies the corpse of
Master Archibald MacLachlan, late Minister of the
Gospel at Tarbet, who departed this life, October,
173 1, and of his age 94 years.' "
130 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER XXI.
Walter — ^2oth Chief.
1705- 1767.
Scottish Rulers.
Anne, 1702-1714.
George I., 1714-1727.
George II., 1 727-1 760.
George III., 1760-1820.
"VVT ALTER MACFARLANE of that Ilk, a man
\^ of parts, learning, and knowledge, a most
ingenious antiquary, and by far the best
genealogist of his time, was possessed," says Sir Robert
Douglas, " of the most valuable collection of materials
for a work of this kind (genealogical) of any man in
the kingdom, which he collected with great judgment,
and at a considerable expense, and to which we always
had, and still have, free access. This sufficiently
appears by the many quotations from MacFarlane's
collections both in the Peerage and Baronage of
Scotland. In short, he was a man of great benevolence,
an agreeable companion, and a sincere friend."
Skene's testimony to the worth of our great antiquary
is equally laudatory.
" He is justly celebrated as an indefatigable collector
of the ancient records of Scotland. The extensive and
valuable collections which his industry has been the
means of preserving form the best monument to his
memory ; and as long as the existence of the ancient
records of the country, or a knowledge of its ancient
history remain an object of interest to any Scotsman,
the name of MacFarlane will be handed down as one
of its benefactors."
Walter — Twentieth Chief 131
In the Preface to " Geographical Collections relating
to Scotland," made by Walter MacFarlane, edited from
MacFarlane's transcript in the Advocates' Library,
Edinburgh, Sir Arthur Mitchell, K.C.B., M.A., M.D.,
LL.D., writes : —
" It may be an advantage to repeat here the short
biographical notices of MacFarlane that Mr. Clark gave
in the Genealogical Collections. The first notice of
him is taken from ' The Chiefs of Colquhoun and their
Country,' Vol. II., pages 99-100, by Sir William
Eraser, K.C.B., and is as follows : —
" Walter MacFarlane, one of the most laborious and
accurate antiquaries of his age, transcribed with his
own hand many old cartularies and muniments
deposited in private charter-chests. He was very
liberal in allowing access to his valuable collections
and transcripts, which are still consulted and often
quoted by authors, being regarded as of high authority.
To his industry we owe the existence of the Levenax
Cartulary, the original of which is now lost. He
married Lady Elizabeth Erskine, daughter of Alexander,
sixth Earl of KelHe. Little is known of his history,
which appears to have been chiefly that of a student,
without any remarkable incidents to record. In
Anderson's Diplomata Scotae, published at Edinburgh
in the year 1739, the learned editors, Mr. Anderson and
Mr. Thomas Ruddiman, in an acknowledgment of
their obligations to those who contributed the original
charters engraved in that great work, notice in favour-
able terms the assistance given them by the Laird of
MacFarlane, ' In this list of most noble and most
eminent men deserves in particular to be inscribed by
us a most accomplished young man, Walter MacFarlane
of that Ilk, Chief of the MacFarlanes, one of the most
ancient of the clans, who, as he is conspicuous for the
utmost urbanity, and for his acquaintance with all the
most elegant and especially the antiquarian depart-
ments of literature, most readily devoted much labour
132 History of Clan MacFarlane
and industry in explaining to us the names of men and
places.' The eulogium pronounced upon him by
Smollett is elsewhere quoted. He died, without issue,
at his town house in the Canongate of Edinburgh, on
5th June, 1767. After his death his valuable collections
were purchased by the Faculty of Advocates, Edin-
burgh. His portrait, an excellent original painting,
which exhibits a remarkably inteUigent, manly and
open countenance, occupies a place on the walls of the
Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, to
whom it was gifted in 1786, by his nephew, Walter
MacFarlane. This portrait was engraved by the late
Mr. W. B. D. D. Turnbull, for the purpose of being
introduced into his ' Monasticon of Scotland,' a work
which was never completed."
The next notice is from the Cash Book of the late
William MacFarlane of Portsburgh, W.S., who died,
13th July, 1831, and it runs as follows, under date
1785 :—
" He died in his house in the Canongate, Edinburgh,
on the 5th, and was buried in the Grejrfriars, Edinburgh,
betwixt the two west pillars of the New Kirk, on the
8th of June, 1767. He was succeeded by his brother.
Dr. William MacFarlane, as 21st of Arrochar, who sold
the estate in March, 1784, after having been 559 years
in the family."
The Collection of Manuscripts formed by MacFarlane
was purchased by the Faculty of Advocates in 1785,
from his niece. Miss Janet MacFarlane, for the sum of
{21. It consists of : —
I.— The Genealogical Collections, 2 vols., edited by
J. T. Clark and published by the Scottish
History Society (1900).
2. — The Geographical Collections, 3 vols., edited by
Sir Arthur Mitchell and pubHshed by the
Scottish History Society (1906).
3. — Collections relative to several Scottish Families,
2 vols.
WALTER, 20TH CHIEF OF MACFARLANE.
From a portrait in the possession of the Faculty of Advocates, Edinburgh.
Walter — ^Twentieth Chief 133
4. — Index to the Register of the Great Seal in 1762,
5 vols.
5. — Diplomatum regiorum quae in publicis archivis
extant Abbreviationes, 10 vols.
6. — Several volumes of transcripts of Charters,
including the charters of Melrose, Balmerinoch
and other reHgious houses.
7. — Various other transcripts.
Amongst the yet unpubHshed MSS. there is a
volume described as " Notes of Genealogies
of his own Family and the Earls of Lennox "
(Advocates MS., 34.3.10).
The reference to Smollett and Walter in the foregoing
is as follows : —
" Smollett and his friends, who made a tour into the
Western Highlands in the eighteenth century, dined
with Walter MacFarlane, then Laird of Arrochar"
In " Humphrey Chnker," the celebrated novelist
introduces one of the correspondents in the novel as
writing thus : — " I told you, in my last, I had projected
an excursion to the Highlands, which project I have
now happily executed, under the auspices of Sir George
Colquhoun, a colonel in the Dutch Service, who offered
himself as our conductor on this occasion. Leaving
our women at Cameron, to the care and inspection of
Lady H C , we set out on horseback for
Inveraray, the county town of Argyle, and dined on
the road with the Laird of MacFarlane, the greatest
genealogist I ever knew in any country, and perfectly
acquainted with all the antiquities of Scotland."
Another correspondent thus writes : — " The poems
of Ossian are in every mouth. A famous antiquarian
of this country, the Laird of MacFarlane, at whose
house we dined a few days ago, can repeat them aU in
the original gaelic."
While their Chief practised the higher arts, his clan
had apparently not reached the same level of advance-
ment. How Rob Roy fared with them in his effort
134 History of Clan MacFarlane
to raise adherents in the Lennox for the rebeUion of
1715, we have no record, but Mclan states that in 1745,
the clan mustered 300 men and fought gallantly for
Prince Charlie.
Writing from Winburg, Orange River Colony, David
McFarland writes : — " My family came south with
Prince CharHe and fought with him. One of my
ancestors settled in Lancashire when things had
quietened down."
As we have seen from the last chapter, John, the
19th Chief embraced the cause of the Covenanters and
Whigs, and as Walter's disposition was studious, such
pohtics as he held were probably of the same colour.
One thing is certain, whatever proportion of the Clan
rallied to the standard of Prince Charlie, they were not
led by their Chief, in person, which probably accounts
for the following reference by Mr. A. M. Slackay in
"The Celtic Monthly"—
" At no time was there one half of the Highland Clans
engaged on the Jacobite side. From the very beginning
many of them were Covenanters and WTiigs —
Campbells, Grants of Strathspey, Colquhouns, Forbeses,
MacFarlanes, MacKays, MacNaughtons, Munros,
Rosses, Sinclairs and Sutherlands. These were always
on the Hanoverian side, and in the 1745 rising, there
falls to be added the MacDonalds, and MacLeods of
Skye, and the Mackenzies of Seaforth and Kintail, who
were influenced by President Forbes.
Let us put it into figures and we can see how the
matter stood.
The Campbells could put into the field say, 2,000 ;
Colquhouns, 500 ; Forbeses, 500 ; Grants of Strathspey,
600 ; Mackays, 1,000 ; MacFarlanes, 300 ; Mac-
Naughtons, 300 ; Munros, Rosses, 600 ; Sinclairs,
1,000 ; The Earl of Sutherland, 1,500. To which we
add, MacDonalds of Skye and North Uist, 1,000 ;
MacLeods of Skye and Harris, 1,000 ; MacKenzies,
1,500 ; Total, 12,300.
Walter — Twentieth Chief 135
But where, ah where the Campbells' martial crest ?
Where MacKenzie, Munro and all the rest ?
Have Forbes, Mac Kay and Sutherland no place
Among the chivalry of Albyn's race ?
Where Ross, Sinclair ? Where Gunn and bold MacRae ?
Where the MacNaughton and the MacLeod array ?
Colquhoun, Buchanan, and MacFarlan too —
Why were their blades lost to the bonnets blue ?
So here we have a direct conflict of evidence. Mclan
says that three hundred of the clan were " out," while
MacKay says the clan did not take part in the rebellion,
and that its muster was the same figure — three hundred.
Of course it must be remembered that there were by
this time many other groups of MacFarlanes besides
the men of Arrochar.
Dr. Johnson visited Arrochar in his prejudiced
peregrinations through the Highlands. It was Walter
who administered the recorded reproof. On meeting,
the Doctor said, " How do you do, Mr. MacFarlane ? "
whereupon the Chief drew himself up and replied with
dignity, " There are many MacFarlanes — I am
MacFarlane."
Walter declared his arms at the Court of the Lord
Lyon in 1750.
Vve have been at pains to endeavour to locate the
town house in Edinburgh where Walter died, and for
help in this matter we have to express our indebtedness
to Mr. Will Cowan of 47 Braid Avenue, Edinburgh,
who writes : —
" The following is all the information I have been
able to obtain regarding the house in the Canongate
where Walter MacFarlane lived and died. The
Edinburgh Directories contain the following —
1773. — McFarlane of McFarlane, near Queensberry House,
1774-5-6. — William McFarlane of McFarlane, Reid's Close,
Canongate.
As Reid's Close is quite near to Queensberry House,
136 History of Clan MacFarlane
the entry in 1773 no doubt refers to the same address,
viz., Reid's Close. The 1773 issue is the earUest
Edinburgh Directory. Two points remain doubtful
(i) Was MacFarlane's house the one in the main street
of the Canongate, at the head or entrance of Reid's
Close or was it behind in the Close itself. In those
days a house at the head of a Close was often considered
as being part of the Close and indeed generally was
entered from the Close. In this case the house in that
portion is still (1917) standing, and is rather a notable
old mansion.
" In Wilson's " Memorials of Edinburgh,' 1848
edition, in Volume II., page 79, there is a front view of
the house and in Volume I., page 217, a back view,
from the interior of the Close. I have found no
reference in any books on Edinburgh to the MacFarlane
f amUy in connection with this house. (2) One cannot
be certain from the Directory entries, or indeed from
the notice of Walter MacFarlane's death, whether he
was owner or merely tenant. The lawyers who at
present have the title deeds of the property at Reid's
Close, say that the older deeds have been lost, and the
present existing titles do not go far enough back to
settle the question as to whether any MacFarlane ever
owned the property."
Resuming the chequered narrative of the parish and
its church, we find that in 1709 the Presbytery of
Dumbarton obtained a decree of the Court of Session
for a church, manse and glebe for the parish of Arrochar,
but the carrying out of that decree was delayed, in
consequence of the minority of the Laird of MacFarlane
(Walter) and of his embarrassed circumstances. Mr.
Alexander Graham of Duchray, writing in 1724, says :
" In this parish " (Tarbet, now Arrochar) " there is
no church yet built." He adds, " all the inhabitants
use the Irish language." It was not tiU 1733 that the
church was actually built. The manse was built in
1837-
COMMUNION CUPS,
Presented to Arrochar Church, by Hon. Helen Arbuthnot, wife of Walter, 20th Chief;
still in servicfc.
Walter — Twentieth Chief 137
Some of the ruins of the old church of Arrochar
remain. Above the principal door, which has been
preserved, the date of 1733 is carved in very beautiful
figures. This may be held as the year in which the
church was completed, and it shows the great delay of
nearly a century in building it after negotiations for
the separation of Arrochar as a parish from the parish
of Luss had commenced. The present church was
built in 1847.
In 1742, the Honourable Helen Arbuthnot, daughter
of Robert, Second Viscount Arbuthnot, second wife of
John MacFarlane, the 19th Chief, afterwards wife of
Mr. John Spotswoode of that Ilk, made a present of
Communion Cups for the Church of Arrochar. On the
cups is engraved the crest of the Arbuthnot family,
being a peacock's head on a wreath, couped proper,
with the following inscription : — " The gift of the
Honourable Helen Arbuthnot to the Parish of
Arroquhar." There is no date on the cups. This lady
also bequeathed the sum of two hundred merks Scots to
purchase a bell for the kirk of Arrochar, and also five
hundred merks Scots for behoof of the poor of the
parish. Her son Walter, granted an obligation, dated
at New Tarbet, 3rd September, 1745, to the minister
and other members of the Kirk- Session of Arrochar,
for the 200 merks above mentioned, with the interest
thereof from the term of Whitsunday, 1742, and he
also granted bills to the minister and Kirk- Session for
the payment of the other sum. But neither of these
legacies was paid to the Kirk- Session for many years
after. Walter the son of the donor, having died in
1767, the estates of William, his brother, who succeeded
him, and John, William's son, were then vested in
trustees on behalf of their creditors. The estates of
Arrochar were sold in the year 1785. It was not,
however, till the year 1802 that the Kirk- Session
received complete payment of the two hundred merks
bequeathed by Helen Arbuthnot, the Lady of Arrochar,
138 History of Clan MacFarlane
the seventh and last dividend due to the Kirk-Session
out of the estates of the then deceased William and John
MacFarlane being then paid. The Session now resolved
to apply this money to the purpose for which it was
originally bequeathed. Delays, however, again occurred.
Thirteen years elapsed before the bell was actually
acquired. At the Kirk- Session of Arrochar, 3rd
January, 1815, Mr. Gillespie, minister of the parish,
reported that he had bought a bell for the church from
Mr. Brownlee of Greenock, in October, 18 13, which
amounted to £24 3s. lod. ; Lady Helen Arbuthnot
having left money for the purpose. The beU amounted
to the above sum, including freight, chain, rope, the
smith's and wright's accounts, and other incidental
expenses.
" The bell was bought," writes Mr. Winchester,
" sixty years after the legacy for its purchase was left,
and hung in a tree — known to this day as the bell tree
— for there was no place for a bell in the plain structure
of the old kirk ; and when the new church was built in
1847, the bell was taken down from its place in the bell
tree and placed where it now hangs in the church tower.
" While the bell hung in the bell tree it was a source
of great temptation to ill disposed persons to take a
pull at the rope, and an old inhabitant relates the
following story of such an abuse : —
" Malcolm MacFarlane, an erring parishioner, had
been summoned to a Kirk Session in the manse in a
case of discipline. Malcolm had been rather faithfully
handled by the court, and he left the manse in an angry
mood. On his way home he passed the bell tree, and it
occurred to him that he might take a pull at the bell
just to relieve his feelings. But just at that moment
a neighbour's goat wandered past, and Malcolm seized
him and securing the bell rope to his horns, withdrew
to a safe place to watch what would happen. Of
course the goat tugged and struggled to escape, and the
bell rang with irregular and broken sounds, and out
Walter — Twentieth Chief 139
came minister and session to see what the cause of the
strange noises might be. Seeing an uncanny looking
thing with horns rushing to and fro in the faint Hght,
and tugging furiously at the bell rope, some of the
Session thought it must be the devil himself, and it
was only when the minister mustered up courage
enough to approach the tree that he found the fiend
to be nothing more than old Mary Campbell's goat."
One of the ministers of the parish during Walter's
period was the Rev. Alexander MacFarlane, who died
in 1763. He was a distinguished Gaelic scholar, and
a great wit. He is credited with having lampooned
his Chief, Walter, in Gaelic verse because, after 1746,
he introduced south country farmers and their customs
into the clan country. The lines appear as a note to
a poem " MacFarlan's Lament," in a volume by Jam.es
MacGregor, Edinburgh, under the title of " Albyn's
Vale and other poems." The publishers were —
Edinburgh, A. Constable & Co. and Oliver & Boyd ;
London, Longman & Co., 1824. Apparently it is
impossible to translate the hues satisfactorily into
English, as the feature of the poem is a play upon the
words embodied in it, but for the benefit of our Gaelic
speaking readers we quote the lines : —
Tha Factor aig MacPharlain is tha mi mealltach
Mur ann de Shliochd a' Ghearrain,
Thug e thugainn Calcadair an aodaich
Is slaodar de thrusdair Sionnaich
Dcchas a' choilich Fhrangaich, Ian do
Shamhuinn le dha gheal-shuil.
Naile ! chunnaic mi cailleach le cuigeal
A chuireadh a' chuideachd ud thairis air Leamhuinn.
140 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER XXII.
William — 2ist Chief.
1767- 1787.
Scottish Rulers.
George III., 1 760-1 820.
DR. WILLIAM succeeded his brother as 21st Chief
and, as events were to prove, he was the last
MacFarlane to hold sway at Arrochar. No
more " the power of pit and gallows," no more leading
of wild Highlandmen to the stirring shout of " Loch
Sloy," no more levying of the Earl's blackmail and
the defence of the same against harriers from the
North. The glory had departed. The leaven of
modern civihsation had bitten deep into the heart of
MacFarlane, and the old race was outworn. It could
not bear transplanting, and presently died out.
William was a physician, and practised in Edinburgh,
so we expect the clan was left pretty much to its own
resources. The district, nevertheless, remained almost
exclusively MacFarlane, for as late as 1804 the old
ledger of the Tarbet store contains scarcely any other
name. That there was little or no affinity between the
clansmen and the Chief, and, we may add, their
minister, is shown by the following extract from " The
Old Statistical Account of Scotland," written by that
clergyman in 1790 : — " The people of this parish are
mostly MacFarlane, and until lately, they have always
had a strong attachment to the Laird as Chief j and
while this subsisted, misanthropy and ferocity were
marked features in their character."
William — ^Twenty-first Chief 141
The writer was the Rev. John Gillespie — a very
different type of clergyman to that one who went
tearing through the heather and bracken, sword in
hand, after the Suinert men, or even the kindly parsons
who went out of their way to warn the illicit whisky
distillers of their flock, when the gaugers were around.
William married Christian, daughter of James
Dewar of Vogrie. They had a numerous family, of
whom three sons and three daughters survived child-
hood — John, Walter, Robert, Janet, Helen and Rachel.
In our Introductory chapter we stated that Mac-
Farlane's banshee was a black goose, and true to the
record of all ancient famihes, the fate of MacFarlane
was predicted. The story runs as follows : —
" In the time of the last Chief of the Clan MacFarlane,
who was Laird of Arrochar, there was a man named
Robert MacPharic, who lived at Inverioch, and who
pretended to be possessed of the gift of ' second sight ' ;
he was at one time, with some others, on Stronafine
Hill, and slept. He awakened suddenly, and said :
' MacFarlane's time at Arrochar will not be long, and
the person who comes in his place will be a stranger to
us, and will make parlour and kitchen a pig-sty ; and
shortly before that happens, a black goose will come
and remain among MacFarlane's geese. It will not be
known where the goose came from, nor whither it
went.' He also said : ' There will be four bridges
where there is now but one, on the estate. MacFarlane
will shortly after leave Arrochar, and his clan will lose
all trace of him.' One day, soon after this, a black
goose alighted among MacFarlane's geese as they were
feeding, and after eating, flew into a tree. No one cared
to interfere with it ; it remained, feeding with the geese,
and stayed nights in the tree for about three months,
and then disappeared."
Mrs. MacFarlane Little contends that the prophecy
was thus fulfilled : —
" Shortly after this, war broke out between America
142 History of Clan MacFarlane
and Great Britain. MacFarlane was heavily taxed,
and was also deeply in debt.
" His family had been reared in luxury. Gambling
with cards was then considered respectable. He
entertained with a more princely hospitality than the
revenues of the estate could support. He sold an
estate that he owned in Jamaica (probably the legacy
of his brother Alexander. — Ed.) for £8,000, but could
not avert the threatened ruin, and in 1784, the Barony
of Arrochar, which for six hundred years had been in the
possession of the MacFarlanes, passed into the hands
of strangers.
" A Mr. Douglas was appointed factor for Ferguson,
and lived in ' the old castle.' An old man of Arrochar
told the writer that he had seen the kitchen used as a
pig- sty, and a well-known clergyman had seen ' a lot
of Shetland ponies stabled in the keep of the castle.'
" The Duke of Argyll, wishing to make a new road
to his Castle of Inveraray,'built three new bridges on the
estate of Arrochar.
" So all of MacPharic's prophecies came true."
The Rev. H. S. Winchester has it that MacPharic
said specifically that the four bridges would cross
Ault Phollaig (the small burn at Arrochar House), and
points out that the fourth bridge was built over this
stream when the Duke of Argyll made his new road
along Loch Longside to Roseneath. Also he mentions
that the keep of the castle was actually used as a
stable when the front had been rebuilt and was being
used as an hotel in the beginning of the nineteenth
century.
Investments in the Darien scheme apparently put
the copestone upon William's ruin. An important
creditor, or an agent for creditors, was a certain Hugh
Mossman, a writer of Edinburgh. In 1784, the estate
was brought to a judicial sale. The following is the
Memorial and Abstract of Process of Sale, from The
Stirling Antiquary : —
William — Twenty-first Chief 143
memorial and abstract of process of sale of
macfarlane of macfarlane's estates,
7TH JULY, 1784.
At the instance of
Hugh Norman, eldest son and heir served and returned to the
deceased Hugh Mossman, writer in Edinburgh
Agt.
Wilham Macfarlane, Esq. of Mactarlane, John Macfarlane*
Junior thereoi, and their creditors.
Rental of the lands and Barony of Arrochar and others in the
Shire of Dumbarton.
Down. — The half of the lands of Down — Malcolm Macfarlane
and his mother lease 21 years from Whitsunday, 1766,
money rent, ^10 13s.
Down. — The other half of Down, Peter and Donald Macintyre»
19 years, 1768.
Ardleish. — Ardleish, Dougal and Alexander Macdougals, now
Malcolm Macfarlane, a stone of butter at the proven conversion
of I OS. is added to the money rent — 19 years.
Blairstang AND Stuckmud. — Malcolm Macfarlane and Margaret
Campbell.
Garvual, Margaret Lauder. After Whit., 1787, the rent rises
to ^42.
Garrachie and Ardluie. — Alexander Macfarlane Shicandroin.
Upper Ardvorlich.
Upper Inverouglass and forest of Beinveurlic and Nether
Ardvourlic,
Caenmore and Blaireunich.
Part of Tarbet called Inverchulin.
Hill of Tarbet.
Part of Tarbet called Claddochbeg.
Claddoch mire with the laigh park of Balhenaan.
coinlach.
Tyunloan,
144 History of Clan MacFarlane
Part of Tarbet,
Another part of ditto.
Easter Balhennan.
Pendicle of Balhennan and House and Wynd at
Ty Vichattan.
Part of Balhennan.
Stucknacloich.
Upper and Nether Stuckintibbert.
Firken.
Mill of Cambusnaclach and Mill Lands.
Nether Inverouglass.
Choilcorran and Invergroin, Gartanfaired and Greitnein,
expiration of present lease ;^88 4s. gjd.
Tynalarach Ardinny and Muirlagan.
Stronfyne Glenluyns and the lands and mill of Portchirble
and hill of Beinvein.
Tynaclach.
The Baron Officers sons pay for attune.
Tullichentaal.
The tenant pays over and above his rent the stipend to the
minister of Luss, being 3 bolls meal, 8i stone to the boll, and
40s. Scots, or 3s. 4d. of money and 3s. id. for Communion
elements, and as the payment of stipend agrees with the teind
duty in the feu charter to the superior, it is not here added to
their rental nor is it hereafter stated as a deduction. The
school salary being 4s. 3d., is also paid by the tenant over and
above the rent. Stuckgown comprehending Stuckdon and
Stuckvolge — George Syme, vassal, John Brock in Garshuke,
and Archibald Maclachan, tacksman in Bunnackrae, both bred
farmers and grassers concur in deponing that they both together
visited and inspected the farms of Inveresk and Balfrone and
parks about the mansion house of New Tarbet, all in the natural
possession of Macfarlane, and that in their opinion they were
worth upon a 19 years' lease of yearly rent £47 los. od.
William — Twenty-first Chief 145
«, 15 4. Loads Days of Days
Money Rent Doz. of of a Man ofk
£ S. d. Hens Chickens Eggs Wedders Peats and Horse Man
10 13 o 1 10 10 — — 6 —
10 13 o 2 10 10 — — 6 —
43 50 _____ __ _
24 00 — — — — — 6 —
26116 — — — — — — —
30 00 — — — 3 — — —
27 10 6 I 12 12 — — 12 —
14 13 o 2 10 10 — — 6 —
79 17 9 ____ __ _
23 30 2 — — — — — —
4 16 4 I 6 6 — — — 6
9 7 7iV 2 6 6 — 12 6 —
6 9 Qj-^ 266 — 12 — 8
20 19 11^ 3 6 6 ^ — — 6 —
6 4 2A — — — — _ _ _
326 166— 44 —
200 I 3 3— — _ —
0150 I — — — — — —
10 3 iotV 266 — — 6 —
940 2 6 6 — — — 6
3150 2 — — — __ _
300 I — — — — — —
11 13 2^ 4 12 12 — — — 12
12 13 o 4 12 12 — — 6 —
5 5 6t\ — — — — — 10 —
448 ____ _ 2 —
17 19 IOtV — — — _ _ 10 —
47 77 ____ __ _
53 15 6 _____ __ _
65 19 2/tz — — — — _ _ _
6100 — — — — — — —
IIOO — — — —
32 00 2
0100
47 10 o — — — — — — —
677 3 7tV" 36 III III 3 28 86 32
Carried forward, i^jj 3 7tV
K
i4fc>
History of Clan MacFarlane
B r ought forward, £6jy
t
36 Hens at 8d. each,
III Chickens at 4d. each,
Ill doz. Eggs at 3d. per doz.,
3 Wedders. los. each,
28 Loads Peats, 6d. per Load,
Tenants pay cess above Rent, total valued
Rent of the above lands, ;^738 3s. 4d.,
after deduction of lands feued to George
Syme.
Total cess of these lands,
Deduction, ...
Free Rent,
Abstract of the different proven values —
ist. — The lands and barony of Arrochar
and others in the Shire of Dum-
bartonshire, 25 years purchase of
free rent and value of woods ;^3,2oo,
2nd. — Lands of Burnhouses in the shire of
Berwick, 22 years purchase,
3rd. — The lands of Bartlaws and Hunt-
field, in the Shire of Lanark, 22
years' purchase of free proven
rental, 5 years' purchase of land
(^38 13s. 4d-)
Debts
Due and noted, ;^42,9i8 2s. ^^\d.
Lands in Dumbarton, deductions.
Tullichintane held of Sir James Colquhoun
of Luss feu.
At entry 20 merks, every successor 40 merks.
Stipend to minister of —
Arrochar out of these lands, ;^28 17 9r\
Schoolmaster of Arrochar, 5 5 31^
Tiends of Macfarlane's Arrochar, 80 merks
Scots.
Tiends of Nether Arrochar 12 merks, or
12 Bolls Meal, at los. per Boll,
Considerably below stipend,
Macfarlane's Arrochar, 400 merks.
Nether Arrochar,
Glasgow.
yif
o 14
^683 16 4tV
13 3 3tV
^696
34
17 7tt
14 ^tV
662 5 4H
19,756 15 2li
10 o
1,501
1,604 18 iot%
;f22.863 4 Its
34 3 It%
6
13
4
£(>
13
4
22
6
4
13
5rV
4
^28
17
9t\
A.
C.
William— Twenty-first Chief 147
The estates were purchased by Ferguson of Wraith
for ;£28,ooo, who in 182 1 sold them to Sir James
Colquhoun, Bart., of Luss, for £78,000.
William frequently visited a Parlane MacFarlane in
Glasgow, who was one of the largest merchants of that
city, conducting a considerable foreign trade. The
Chief was wont to arrive in a handsome coach drawn by
four fine horses, and on these occasions all Saltmarket
turned out to see him pass. Upon one of these visits
the chief requested Parlane to send abroad for a china
tea service for him. A design was accordingly drawn,
and in due course the tea service arrived, decorated
with the chief of MacFarlane's arms, along with a
duplicate set which, it is said, the Laird had quietly
ordered for a gift to Parlane. What was Parlane's
relationship to William is unknown, but Parlane's son,
also named Parlane, in 1822, visited in Edinburgh two
daughters of the Arrochar house, who were in receipt
of a Government pension. On his taking his leave,
wishing to give him some memento of his visit, the
ladies presented Parlane with a deHcate and quaint
china tea-cup and saucer, which is still preserved by
the son of Parlane's second son, David, also named
Parlane, who is a merchant in Glasgow. Other
descendants of Parlane possess two china plates, which
bear the arms of a Chief of MacFarlane, and are
doubtless the remains of the duplicate presentation set
referred to above. The ladies of the Arrochar family
were doubtless Janet, William's eldest daughter, and
Margaret, daughter of William's eldest son, John, as
it is known that they lived together in Edinburgh.
William died in 1787.
A picture of High Street, Glasgow, showing the elder
Parlane's premises with his name over the door, was
exhibited at a recent Glasgow Exhibition, lent by
Mr. W. Kirsop. Parlane the younger, was buried in
the Ramshorn Churchyard, Glasgow.
William — ^Twenty-first Chief 147
The estates were purchased by Ferguson of Wraith
for ;^28,ooo, who in 182 1 sold them to Sir James
Colquhoun, Bart., of Luss, for ;£78,ooo.
William frequently visited a Parlane MacFarlane in
Glasgow, who was one of the largest merchants of that
city, conducting a considerable foreign trade. The
Chief was wont to arrive in a handsome coach drawn by
four fine horses, and on these occasions all Saltmarket
turned out to see him pass. Upon one of these visits
the chief requested Parlane to send abroad for a china
tea service for him. A design was accordingly drawn,
and in due course the tea service arrived, decorated
with the chief of MacFarlane's arms, along with a
duplicate set which, it is said, the Laird had quietly
ordered for a gift to Parlane. What was Parlane's
relationship to William is unknown, but Parlane's son,
also named Parlane, in 1822, visited in Edinburgh two
daughters of the Arrochar house, who were in receipt
of a Government pension. On his taking his leave,
wishing to give him some memento of his visit, the
ladies presented Parlane with a delicate and quaint
china tea-cup and saucer, which is still preserved by
the son of Parlane's second son, David, also named
Parlane, who is a merchant in Glasgow. Other
descendants of Parlane possess two china plates, which
bear the arms of a Chief of MacFarlane, and are
doubtless the remains of the duplicate presentation set
referred to above. The ladies of the Arrochar family
were doubtless Janet, William's eldest daughter, and
Margaret, daughter of William's eldest son, John, as
it is known that they lived together in Edinburgh,
William died in 1787.
A picture of High Street, Glasgow, showing the elder
Parlane's premises with his name over the door, was
exhibited at a recent Glasgow Exhibition, lent by
Mr. W. Kirsop. Parlane the younger, was buried in
the Ramshorn Churchyard, Glasgow.
148 History of Clan MacFarlane
The following table shows Parlane's descendants : —
Parlane
Parlane
I
! I I
James, David William
D.S.P. I I
I I I I I
Parlane James, William, Charlef B., John
Charles B. MacFarlane is the eminent amateur golfer
and he took part in foimding the Enghsh section of
the Society of the Clan.
Of the laird's children John, the eldest son succeeded
his father as 22nd Chief of the Clan, although no longer
of the Barony of Arrochar. Of him later.
The next brother Walter, married Marion, only child
of John Trotter of Morton Hall, and they had five
children, Wilham (born 1769), Christian (born 1770),
Janet (born 1774), Alexander Trotter (born 1779), and
Robert (born 1780). The first four all appear in order
in the Parochial Register of the County of Edinburgh.
During that period the family resided at Saughton
Hall, but when Robert, the youngest child was born
they were living at Fountain Bridge, Edinburgh.
William, the eldest son, went to sea and was first mate
on an East Indiaman, under the command of the Hon.
Captain Elphinstone. He died, unmarried, at St.
Helena, before 1811. Of the daughters, we only know
that two of them were trained to be milhners in
Edinburgh, and afterwards followed the same business
in London. One of them is said to have married a
Mr. Loch. Of the second son, Alexander Trotter
MacFarlane we have no information, but of the
youngest son, Robert, Miss Jean MacFarlane Scott,
writes : "I could not trace his birth register in any of
the church or parish records although I searched very
carefully, giving time and close attention. I knew
William — Twenty-first Chief 149
he was grandson of William MacFarlane of MacFarlane
(21st Chief) and cousin to my own great-great-grand-
father (William, son of John, 22nd Chief), and in
putting all together that I knew and could find out, I
felt sure he was the third son of Walter MacFarlane and
Marion Trotter. Robert was born 1780, married 18 15,
and died in 1843. He left two sons and a daughter.
The eldest son died ten years later and the daughter
soon after. The youngest son, Henry, was in the army
and went to India. There he had a sunstroke which
affected his mind so much that he was in a private
asylum from 1839 to 1892, when he died. None of the
children married. Robert was often with his cousin
Francis, whose grand-father Malcolm founded the
Irish branch."
Walter, Robert's father, was aUve in 1794, as in
that year he presented the portrait of his uncle, Walter
(the 2ist Chief) to the Antiquary Society of Scotland.
Of the third son of William, Robert, our information
is meagre and conjectural. He married, and had three
daughters, one of whom died unmarried. The other
two, unmarried, were Uving in Edinburgh in 1816.
Robert is stated to have held a sinecure office and Hved
at Brompton, London, and is believed to be the same
with the miscellaneous writer, Robert MacFarlane, M. A.,
who was killed, being run over by a carriage in Ham-
mersmith, on 8th August, 1804 ; but another account
states that he was alive in 1827.
Of William's three daughters, we have only an account
of Janet, the eldest. As we have mentioned she lived
with her niece in Edinburgh, where they were visited
by Parlane of Glasgow. " The last survivor of the
family of William MacFarlane of Arrochar," writes
Fraser, " was Miss Janet, or, as she was generally
called, Jess MacFarlane, who became the lineal re-
presentative of the MacFarlanes of Arrochar. She
was a frequent visitor at Rossdhu. Being quite a
character in her way she was generally called
150 History of Clan MacFarlane
' The Chief.' She died on the 2nd December, 182 1, and
was interred in Greyfriars' Churchyard, Edinburgh."
During WiUiam's time, in 1774, the scholarly Dr.
Stuart was minister of the parish, and among his many
great attainments was a knowledge of the " black art."
One day, then, as the learned doctor was walking home
from a visit to a parishioner who lived up Loch Lomond-
side, he met two " gaugers " just at the foot of the brae
on the old Wade Road, near where the public school
now stands. Now the reverend doctor had just left his
parishioner in the act of preparing some malt for the
brew, and he had a shrewd suspicion that the gaugers
also knew something of what was going forward, and
that they were on their way to catch the smuggler in the
act. So, looking the men of the law in the face for some
time, the doctor placed his staff across the road at their
feet, and after making certain mysterious signs, he
directed them to stand where they were until he came
back. He then hurried back and warned his parish-
ioner, who immediately cleared the coast of all
questionable gear, while the poor gaugers stood power-
less in the middle of the road until the minister came
back and released them.
Several tales go to show that the ministers of
Arrochar had a kindly feeling towards the " water of
Hfe," and, writes Mr. H. S. Winchester, an amiable
toleration of smugglers.
During the middle of the 19th century there were
several excisemen stationed in the parish, but in former
times the visit of the " ganger " was a regular event,
and on two occasions at least the parish minister
assisted to defeat the law.
Lawless in other respects, it was not to be expected
that the men of Arrochar should have much respect for
the excise laws. Nor indeed had they. Shebeens
abounded even within Uving memory. On the road
between Tarbet and the Big Rest in Glencroe, the sites
of eight places where whisky was sold are still pointed
William — Twenty-first Chief 151
out. There was one at Tarbet, one at Tighvechtan,
three in the village of Arrochar, one at the " Highland-
man's Height " near the present torpedo station, one
at the school house in Glencroe, and one at the Big Rest.
All that now remains of the tavern at the Highland -
man's Height is the green slope which was once the
garden, and faint traces of the house walls buried in
the grass and the heather. Yet the house existed well
into the nineteenth century ; and it is believed to have
sheltered Robert Bums for a night as he passed this
way on his tour to the west. It is said that there
exists a letter written by Burns during that journey,
and dated from " Knockeribus, Arrochar," There is
no place of that name now in Arrochar or the neigh-
bourhood, but possibly this was the former name of the
Highlandman's Height.
But one parish minister of the time — the Rev. John
Gillespie — does not seem to have shared any such
sentiments. Writing in the old Statistical Account
(1790) he tells that the attachment of the MacFarlanes
to their Chief was the main cause of the misanthropy
and ferocity of manners which marked their character.
But the sale of the estates, the departure of the old
Chiefs, the making of the military roads, the settlements
of grazers from the low country — all these causes have,
in the opinion of that parish minister, " contributed to
extinguish the remains of that system of barbarity
which so long retarded the civilisation of Europe."
And he goes on to say : — " The people are now well-
bred, honest, and industrious, and not addicted to the
immoderate use of spirituous liquors." As to the use
of spirituous liquors, we are staggered to think of tin;
former state of the parish, when we remember that at
the time when the reverend gentleman wrote his
account, there was a shebeen in almost every corner,
and at least six recognised pubhc houses existed between
Tarbet and the head of Glencroe.
152 History of Clan MacFarlane
CHAPTER XXni.
John — 22nd Chief.
1787.
Scottish Rulers.
George III., 1760-1820.
JOHN, the first of the landless I.airds, married
Catherine, daughter of James Walkinshaw of that
Ilk. They had two sons and two daughters,
William, James, Margaret Elizabeth, and Christian.
It is persistently stated by writers and historians
that William's eldest son and heir " emigrated to
America,"
This vague statement, coupled with the legal
language of the " Memorial and Abstract of Process of
Sale of MacFarlane of MacFarlane' s Estates," already
quoted, caused Mrs. MacFarlane Little in her " Clan
Farlan," to conceive an amazing fable. She fell into
the extraordinary error of regarding " Hugh Norman,
eldest son and heir, served and returned to the deceased
Hugh Mossman," as the eldest son and heir of " William
MacFarlane, Esq., of MacFarlane." Because of the
" Junior " attached to his name, she apparently
regarded John as a younger son of William.
The story, based on these flimsy premises, has
obtained wide credence in America, where Mrs. Little's
book was published, so it is necessary for us to state,
clearly and categorically, that Hugh Norman was the
son of an Edinburgh writer, named Hugh Mossman,
and that John MacFarlane was the eldest son and heir
of William MacFarlane of Arrochar.
Wilham, John's eldest son was bom 29th May, 1770,
and James was bom within half an hour of his elder
1
1
1
f
1,
1
1
'4;
r
I
PAGES FROM ARROCHAR PARISH REGISTER.
Showing MacFarlane's debts to the Church of Scotland, discharged.
John — ^Twenty-second Chief 153
brother. In the record of the birth and baptism of
these children they are said to be the sons of John
MacFarlane, younger of MacFarlane, and Mistress
Catherine Walkinshaw, his spouse, residing at Hermiston,
in the parish of Salton (Arrochar Parish Register, H.M.
General Register House, Edinburgh). To Miss Jean
MacFarlane Scott we owe the following particulars of
the continuance of the parent stem to its extinction,
with her uncle William.
William, 21st Chief.
John.
William
1 770-1 820 (about).
Walter.
(1792-1830).
William
(181 3-1 866) Jane (Scott).
D.S.P. I
! I
Walter MacFarlane Jean MacParlane
Scott Scott.
Miss MacFarlane Scott writes, " My mother's brother
was so like Walter, the Antiquary, that if the oil painting
we have of him was placed alongside the one in the
gallery in Edinburgh, you would say, father and son"
Of Miss Jean MacFarlan Scott herself, we are glad
to reproduce the following tribute, written by the late
Robert MacFarlan of Dumbarton (the rescuer of the
Clan Pibroch), which appeared in The Celtic Monthly.
" With the best blood of two Clans running in her
veins Miss Jean MacFarlan Scott of Sunderland, and
Farmfield, Ayrshire, deserves honourable notice.
Claiming, as she does, to be descended from " Chief
William," the last of the MacFarlanes who held the
ancestral estates of Arrochar, Miss MacFarlan Scott
154 History of Clan MacFarlane
is no counterfeit or imitation clanswoman. One cannot
meet her and remain in suspense or uncertainty as to
her being a true clanswoman, jealous for the honour of
Siol nam Parlanach. This lady of the Clan is not a
voice merely, for the lively force of her mind, united
with good sound sense and business capacity, impel
her to action. Take an illustration ! The inscription
slab in Greyfriars, Edinburgh, to the memory of Miss
MacFarlane of that ilk, fell out of its place and was
lying unheeded for years, when a private soldier named
MacFarlan tried to fix it up again, but failed. The
subject of our notice on learning of the circumstance,
had the work done at her own cost and under her own
eye.
" In her search for folklore of her Clan, Miss MacFarlan
Scott has been untiring. She has spent days in the
Register House, Edinburgh, in Glasgow, and in Luss,
Arrochar, Dumbarton, and numerous other places, in
pursuit of her favourite hobby, and has been in corres-
pondence with MacFarlanes the world over.
" But no notice of Miss MacFarlane Scott would be
complete without making pointed reference to the
marked business abihty which she possesses, and which
she has turned to good account. When her father,
who carried on business in Sunderland, died, she was
thrown upon her own resources, and she has hved to
negative two erroneous but common impressions, that
a woman cannot have business aptitude of a high order,
and that the Celtic craving for folklore, pedigree and the
like is inconsistent with success in the matter of fact
battle of life. The high-class character of the firm of
Scott & Co., Lome House, Sunderland, is well known.
It is not so widely known that its fame and success
have been secured by the abihty and untiring energy
of this gifted lady. In the conduct of the business of
" Lome House," its owner has been accustomed to
make almost monthly journeys to London and other
haunts of fashion, as well as to visit periodically the
John — Twenty-second Chief 155
more important manufacturing centres. Miss Mac-
Farlan Scott, as it were, steals away from the active
business of her warehouse and the duties of her
counting-house for a day or two now and again to rest
mind and body, which she sometimes does by
journeying to Loch Sloy, or by cHmbing the neighbour-
ing hills (for a sprig of cloudberry) with such agility
that she has been described as one of the most
accomplished of lady mountaineers."
Neither of John's daughters married. Christina
pre-deceased her sister who, as we have stated, took up
housekeeping with her aunt, " The Chief." In the old
Edinburgh Directories we find the following entries : —
1829-30. — Miss MacFarlane of that Ilk, 9 Dundas Street.
1831-32. — Miss MacFarlane of that Ilk. 9 Dundas Street.
1834-35. — Miss MacFarlane of that Ilk, 37 Heriot Row.
She died, probably in the Heriot Row house, on 12th
May, 1846, aged seventy-nine, and was interred in
Greyfriars' Churchyard, Edinburgh. The monument
bearing a well cut coat of arms, recording the deaths of
both the aunt and her niece, stands against the south-
west wall of the church. The full inscription it bears
is : —
IN MEMORY OF
JANET MACFARLAN,
DAUGHTER OF
WILLIAM MACFARLAN OF MACFARLAN, ESQ.,
DIED 2ND DECEMBER. 1821.
AND OF HER NIECE,
MARGARET ELIZABETH MACFARLAN,
WHO DIED I2TH MAY, 1846,
AGED 79 YEARS;
BEING AT THE PERIOD OF HER DECEASE
THE LINEAL REPRESENTATIVE OF
THE ANCIENT AND HONOURABLE HOUSE
OF MACFARLAN OF THAT ILK.
156 History of Clan MacFarlane
SEPTS OF MACFARLANE.
Arrell.
Arrol.
Allan (also ClanRanald).
Allanson (also Clan Ranald).
Allan ACH (also ClanRaudld).
Bartholomew.
Barclay.
Caw.
Griesch (Aberdeen).
Grassie (Aberdeen).
Grassick (Montrose).
Gruamach.
Galloway (Stirling).
KiNNIESON.
Kennson.
KlNNISON.
Mac Allan (also ClanRanald,
Mac Kay and Stewart).
MacAindra.
MacAndrew.
MacAndro (of Dumbarton-
shire).
MacCaa.
MacCause (Thomson).
MacCaw (also Stewart of
Bute).
MacCondey.
MacEoin.
MacEachern (also an
ancient race of Kintyre
and Criagnish)
MacErracher.
MacGaw.
MAcGEOCh.
MacGreusich (albo
Buchanan).
MacInnes.
MacInstalkek.
MacJock.
MacJames.
MacKinlay.
MacNair (alsoMcNaughton).
MacNeur.
MacNuyer (also Buchanan
and McNaughton).
MacNider.
MacNiter.
MacRob (also Gunn).
MacRobb.
MacWalter.
MacWilliam (also Gunn).
Miller (of Dumbartonshire).
Michie.
Monach.
Parlane.
ROBB.
Stewart.
Stalker.
Weaver.
Wilson.
Weir.
Williamson.
Galbraith.
Lennox.
Napier.
Septs of MacFarlane 157
CHAPTER XXIV.
Septs of MacFarlane.
THE name of MacFarlane," writes Buchanan,
" is very numerous both in the north and
west Highlands, particularly in the counties
of Dumbarton, Perth, Stirling and Argyle ; as also in
the shires of Inverness and Moray and the western
isles. Besides, there are a great many in the north
of Ireland.
" There is also a vast number of descendants from,
and dependents on, this surname and family, of other
names, of which those of most account are a sept
termed Allans or MacAllans, who are so called from
Allan MacFarlane, their predecessor, a younger son of
one of the Lairds of MacFarlane who went to the
north and settled there, several centuries ago. This
sept is not only very numerous, but also many of them
are of very good account ; such as the families of
Auchouachan, Balnengown, Druminn, etc. They reside
mostly in Mar, Strathdon, and other northern counties.
" There are also MacNairs, MacEoins, MacErrachers,
MacWilliams, MacAindras, MacNiters, Maclnstalkers,
Macjocks, Parians, Farlans, Graumachs, Kinniesons
etc., all which septs acknowledge themselves to be
MacFarlanes, together with certain particular Septs of
MacNayers, MacKinlays, MacRobbs, MacGreusichs,
Smiths, Millers, Monachs and Weirs."
On another page we give a Hst of all the names we
have been able to discover, attributed to MacFarlane.
We are not prepared to vouch for the accuracy of this
list. In the following pages is set forth such information
158 History of Clan MacFarlane
as has reached us regarding particular names without
making any claim to completeness.
In our hst we have separated Galbraith, Lennox and
Napier from the rest of the Septs, as we do not under-
stand why these families should be included as
MacFarlane. Galbraith was a separate and distinct
family. Families of the name of Lennox must be
either descended from the parent house of Lennox or
from retainers of that family, while the only Napier
connection is the marriage of a gentleman of that
name with a daughter of Duncan, 8th Earl of Lennox.
However, as these three are frequently given as
Septs of MacFarlane, we include them here.
Mc Allan.
As Buchanan remarks, the family of Allan or
McAllan is one of considerable importance. Their
progenitor, Allan MacFarlane, a younger son of one
of the Chiefs of Arrochar, settled in the north of
Scotland, and his sons, instead of taking the family
patronymic, called themselves sons of Allan, just as,
in another case, the sons of Thomas, younger son of
Duncan, the 6th Chief, called themselves Thomas's
sons instead of MacFarlane.
Allanson and Allanach are variants of MacAllan,
adapted from the Gaelic, Aluinn, signifying illustrious.
The principal locations of the family are Mar,
Strathdon, Glenbuchat and Glenmuick.
Macallan is an old place name in Aberdeenshire.
The present parish of Knockando, in Moray, was
originally called Macallan and was united to the parish
of Knockando during the Regency of the Earl of
Morton.
A Mr. J. Lindsay advances the startling statement
that the name Parlane itself is really Allan. He
writes : —
" The name Aluin (Ailin) or Parian is purely Gaelic.
Skene derives it from al, alia, ail or aill, a stone, rock,
Septs of MacFarlane 159
cliff, meaning the man of the cHff or rock ; others
from ailean, ailen, ellen and allan ; a green plain,
meadow ; and from fear, a man, meaning the man of
the green plain. I rather favour the latter."
Mr. Lindsay's theory has only this justification, that
the Celtic Parian in Hebrew is Bartholomew, meaning
" son of furrows," but, of course, Pharlain was not the
founder of the family.
The following from The Weekly Scotsman, by
" Mac-an-t-Sionnaich," gives a summary of the
ramifications of the name : —
" The Allans are a branch of a large Scottish family
group, the MacAllans or Allans. The chief Highland
branches were those of Aberdeenshire, Bute, Caithness,
Dumbarton, Perth, and Ross.
" The name in GaeHc, Ailean, is derived from the early
Irish Ailene, Adamnan's Ailenus.
" There were 11,578 Allans in Scotland in 1861.
" There are many forms of the Clan name — Allan,
Allanach, AUanson, Alison, Allison, Callan, Callen,
Callanach, MacAllan, MacAllen, and MacCallan. The
Callans are a Bute family ; the AUanachs belong to the
Aberdeen Highlands and Strathspey ; Callanach is an
uncommon Appin form, while some Callens live at
Dunoon. The Allansons and Allisons belong to the
Lowlands, but they are no doubt of Highland or Celtic
origin.
" According to tradition, the Clan Allan of Donside
fought the Coutts, and were victors, at an early period.
The MacAllans of Mar and Strathdon are descended
from Allan MacFarlane, younger son of one of the
Lairds of MacFarlane, who settled in Strathdon many
centuries ago. His descendants were known as
MacAllans, Allanich, or Clan Allan. Some of these
MacAllans are alluded to by Nisbet (' System of
Heraldry ') as of Lismurdie, Auchorrachan, Balnagown,
Kirkton, and Markinch, etc.
"We find that ' The ancestor of the MacFarlanes of
i6o History of Clan MacFarlane
Kirkton (Stirling) was George MacFarlane, of Markinch
(Fife), second son to Andrew MacFarlane of that ilk,
in the reign of James V. (See Chapter XXXII.).
George, having sold the foresaid lands of Markinch,
settled eventually in the north Highlands among his
namesakes, the MacFarlanes, promiscuously called in
the Irish (Gaelic) language M'Allans, Allanich, or Clan
Allan, because of this descent from Allan MacFarlane.
From him (George) are descended the famihes of
Auchorrachan, Balnagown, and Lismurdie, etc., as also
several others in Braemar and Strathspey. His
posterity continued in the North for several generations,
until the time of Patrick MacFarlane, the fourth
descendant in a direct line, who, returning again to the
South, purchased the lands of Kirkton (StirUng) '
(History of Stirlingshire, v. 2, p. loo-i.). James
M'Allane, in Dellaborar, Braemar, was prosecuted for
' remaining at the horn,' 1619 (R. of P.C). John
Allan, in Delmucklachlie (Mar) was a resetter of
outlawed MacGregors, 1636.
" The Allanachs of Strathdon are also apparently
sprung from the MacFarlanes, ' Na Allanich,' Finlay
Allenoch was a tenant in the lands of Innemete (Towie)
in 1588. Wilham Allanach, in Glenmuick, was
prosecuted for resetting outlawed MacGregors, in 1636.
There were Allanachs in Torrnonich, in 1660. William
Allanach, in Cattie, near Birse, 1671. Allanachs in
Muchrach, Strathspey, 1719. There were four Allan-
achs in the Strathdon Volunteers in 1798, including
Sergt. Duncan Allanach. In 1903, there were two
famihes in Glenbuchat, one at Torrancroy, and one at
Upperton. They are still to be found in Strathdon and
Tarland.
" John MacAllan, in Alyth, was a follower of the
Ogilvies of Clova, in 1585. John MacAllan, in Enoch,
Strathardle, and others were warned not to harm the
Robertsons of Straloch, in 1598. Donald and Finlay
MacAllan, in Easter Russachan, Menteith, were fined
Septs of MacFarlane i6i
in 1612 for resetting outlawed MacGregors. Donald
Allan, in Connachan, Glen Almond, was a prisoner in
Edinburgh Tolbooth, with some MacGregors, in 1690 —
' Baron ' Finlay MacAUan, of Stramanane, 1506.
Allan MacAllane obtained part of the lands of Langil-
wenach in 1506, which descended to his heirs. Robert
Allan disponed Easgechraggan and Glenbuy to Sir
Dugald Stewart in 1669. Ninian Allan was officer of the
Castle of Rothesay in 168 1. There are still many
Allans and Callans in Bute.
" There are many Allans and MacAUans in Caithness,
and these are probably sprung from William M' Allan,
descendant of Ferchard of Melness, the physician,
about 1379. ' William M' Allan sold the Small Isles to
Sir Donald M'Kay of Strathnavor, There is abounding
evidence in various wadsett charters of this period that
the MacAllans were MacKays, the former surname
being a patronymic, and quite in keeping with the
custom of the time.' (See Celtic Monthly, April, 1910).
" Finlay MacAUan appears in the chanonry, Ross,
1578 ; Thomas Allan, servitor of Munro of Tarrell, Ross,
1607 ; Finlay MacAUan, in Tain, 1628 ; John MacAUan,
UUeray, N. Uist, was a tenant on the MacDonald estate,
1718 ; Gilfelan (Gilfillan) M' Allan and others were
accused of the slaughter of GiUaspy MacClery (now
Leckie), at Stirling Assizes, 1477 ; John, younger, and
John MacAUan, elder, were native tanners at Port of
Roisdo (Rosdhu), Dumbarton, 1621.
" The surname Alison or Allison is no doubt derived
from AUanson. Some authorities have suggested ' son
of AHce,' but this origin is most unlikely. Thomas
AUesoun of Lochtoune, Scone, 1587 ; Archibald
AUasoun M' Arthur, Argyll, 1590 ; James AUasson, in
Ledcamroch, Balvie, Dumbarton, 1671.
" AUsoun was another ancient form of the name.
" Branch Tartans. — MacFarlane — AUan, AUanach,
MacAUan, MacAUen, of Aberdeen and Banff.
" MacKay — ^AUan, MacAUan of Caithness.
i62 History of Clan MacFarlane
" Stewart of Bute — ^Allan, Callan, Callen, Mac Allan,
MacCallan of Bute.
" The following cannot be allocated with certainty : —
Allanson, Ahson, AlHson, and Callanach."
Arrol.
Arrol or Arrell is said to be a Dumbartonshire family
of the Sept of MacFarlane of Kepnoch. The name
itself is derived from the place-name of Errol, in
Perthshire (ArroU, 1660).
Many of this name lived on the MacFarlane and
Colquhoun lands in Dumbartonshire, in the i6th and
17th centuries.
Duncan Errole, minister of Luss, 1590.
Thomas Arroll, in Arochiebeg, Dumbartonshire,
under the MacFarlane, and John Errol, in Cashlie, were
fined in 1614, for resetting members of the Clan Gregor.
Duncan Arrell, cordiner, in Drumlegark, was put
to the horn, in 16 19, with the MacFarlanes of Kepnoch
for raiding (Reg. of P.C).
Robert Arroll, Dalnair, Lennox, 1592.
Thomas Errole, in Blairoule, and others, retainers of
Stewart of Ardvorhk, raided the lands of Cimningham
of Dnimquhassill, 1592.
John Arrell, servitor of the Laird of Tullichewne,
1569.
Sir William Arrol, a famous 20th century engineer.
Barclay.
As to this name being a Sept of MacFarlane, our
informant is Malcolm MacFarlane, the well known
Gaelic authority, who writes : — " It will surprise you
to learn that many of the Ulster Barclays are
MacFarlanes in the GaeHc. I had evidence of this
many years ago, and could hardly accept it, but the
case is as I state."
Septs of MacFarlane 163
MacGreusach.
This name means son of the " greusaich " or shoe-
maker — from which we have the Lowland Souter.
MacInstalker.
The meaning of this name is obvious — the son of the
stalker — now represented by Stalker only. In 1565
Neil, son of John Malloch (the Mallochs dwelt in the
district of Rannoch) was one of the persons employed
by the Government to take vengeance on the murderers
(Maclnstalkers) of the son of MacGregor, Dean of
Lismore.
MacNiter,
MacNiter is a phonetic representation of " Mac-an-
fhigheadair " — son of the weaver.
MacNair.
" The MacNairs of Lennox," writes Fionn, " now go
by the name of Weir."
The legend which gave origin to the " Mac-an-
Oighres" or MacNairs of Lennox is that of "The
Piebald Horse." Fionn's version is, as follows : —
" In the reign of James III. of Scotland, the Laird of
MacFarlane was slain at the battle of Sauchieburn,
Stirling, in the year 1488, leaving a widow, who was
an EngHsh lady, the mother of one son ; he also left a
son by his first wife, who was his heir ; but this son
and heir had the misfortune to be proud, vain, silly,
and a little weak-minded. His half-brother was
possessed of a beautiful grey horse, which had been
given to him by some of his mother's relatives. The
elder brother was about to set out for Stirling, and was
very desirous of riding this horse, wishing, as the young
chief, to make a good appearance. The step-mother
refused the loan of the animal, alleging, as her reason
for so doing, her fear that it would not be safely brought
back. Her denial only made the young man more
i64 History of Clan MacFarlane
persistent. Finally a written agreement was drawn
up and signed by the heir, in which he promised to
forfeit to his half-brother his lands of Arrochar, in
case the horse was not safely returned.
" The step-mother bribed the groom in attendance
to poison the horse on the second day from home, and
the estate accordingly went to the younger brother.
The Clan refused to receive the latter as their Chief,
but combined to acknowledge the elder brother as
such, though not possessed of the lands of Arrochar.
Some years later, by special Act of ParUament, these
lands were restored to the rightful heir. Old people
in Lennox referred to certain MacFarlanes as ' Sliochd
an eich bhain,' descendants of the white horse, being
those who followed the half-brother in contradistinction
to those who followed the heir, or ' Clann an Oighre,'
as they called themselves." (Also see Chapter X.).
Another writer makes the following remarks about
the MacNairs : —
" This name is derived from at least three sources,
namely, the Lennox Sept, connected with the
MacFarlanes, the Argyleshire Sept, connected with the
MacNaughtons, and the Ross-shire Sept, connected
with the MacKenzies. Those of the Lennox were
originally MacFarlanes."
Dr. MacBain says : — " The Perthshire Sept appears
in documents as M'Inayr, 1468 ; Macnayr, 1390 ;
which is explained Mac-an-Oighre, son of the heir.
The MacNairs of Cowal, etc., anghcise their name to
Weir. These MacNairs are said to have been originally
MacNaughtons. There were McNuirs in Cowal, 1685 ;
and a John Maknewar, in Dunoon, 1546. The Mac-
Nuyers of the Lennox also now are known by the name
of Weir. Of the Gairloch Sept, MacNair, Gaelic,
Mac-an-uidhar (this is condensed into MTn-uir) for
Maclain uidhir son of dun {odhar), John ; such is the
source of the Ross-shire branch. Other facts point to
another origin, Mac-an-Fuibhir, the stranger's son."
Septs of MacFarlane 165
Mr. J. W. MacNair Wallace has made some investi-
gations into the origin of the name MacNair, and gave
a summary of his collections in The Oban Times of i6th
January, 1909.
" In the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, the name of
' M'Noyare, maro de Menteth ' appears in the rent
roll of the Earldom of Mar, and in the accounts of the
Chamberlain of Monteith we find ' Malcolme Mac-
Macnoyare,' or ' Macnoyar.' In 1454 the name of
' M'Noyare de Menteth, mari de Down, et mari de
Strogartenay ' appears. In 1456 he appears again as
' M'Noyare,' and in the same year one ' Gillaspy
M'Nare ' is mentioned as having been put in irons at
Kyrkcuchbrith, being released in 1457, his name then
spelled ' Maknare.' In 1457 there is mention of a
' M'Nayr, inhabitans terras ' of Duchray, in the
Strathearn and Menteith accounts, while in the rentals
of the Crown lands of the Barony of Downe in 1480 we
find the names of ' Donaldo M'Nayr,' ' Dovok Maknair,'
and ' Johanni Maknair.' Curiously, the last-mentioned
has his name spelled twice as ' Maknair ' and twice as
' Maknain,' in the rolls, between i486 and 1492. In
the latter rolls we also find a ' Donaldo M'Hubir,'
otherwise ' Donaldi Makhubir,' and ' Donaldo M'Ubir ';
can this be the same as the ' 'Donaldo M'Nayr ' above
mentioned? In the same rentals of Doune, between
1492 and 1500 are ' Donaldo M'Nvyr ' and ' Andree
M'Nvyr,' as well as a ' Johanni Smyth.' In 1521 in
the Rentals of Menteith, Parkland de Down, we have
* Elizabeth Maknair,' and in 1532 mention is made of
William Hamilton of ' Maknaristoun,' auditor of
Exchequer. In the Menteith accounts also, in a rental
dated at Halyruidhous in 1574, we find a ' Donaldum
M'Newer.'
•' In the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland for the
period between 1424 and 15 13, ' Rob. Macnare '
appears as a witness to a charter, but between 1546
and 1580 the name assumes the forms of ' M'Nair,'
i66 History of Clan MacFarlane
' Maknair,' ' Makynnair,' ' M'Kynnair,' and ' Makkyn-
nair,' and in a charter of the lands of Menteith in 1554
there is a tenant ' J oh. Maknoyare.' In a charter dated
in 1576 at the ' Palatium S. Crucis,' mention is made of
a ' Duncano M' Kynnair in Dunkeld.' In a confirmation
of a charter in 1686 appears ' Roberti Maknair, canonici
Dunkelden,' as well as ' Johanni M'Nair ' and ' Jacobi
M'Nair.' ' Robert Maknair ' also appears in 1697.
I should, perhaps, add that the ' Robert Makynnair '
was ' rector de Assent ' in 1548.
" From the Calendar of Scottish Papers we find that
in February, 1568, ' Arche Macnare ' is one of those
then attached to, or attendant on, Queen Mary. The
same list of attendants gives the name of one ' Oduar
of Tralltrow.' In the papers for 1298 the names of
' Gillespie M'Enri ' and ' Cuthbert M'Enri ' are given
as residenters in Galloway. Is there any connection
here ?
" In 1605 the Register of the Privy Council of
Scotland mentions ' Patrick M'Nair,' in Bray of Cluny,
' Johne M'Nedar,' in MayboU, and ' Alexander M'Nedar'
in Drumnoir ; while in 1584 we have a 'Johne
M'Knedar,' burgess of Air; in 1585 an 'Oswald
M'Knedar' and a ' Johnne M'Nedar' ' Johnne
M'Nedair ' appears in Register of the Privy Council at
Holyrood-house as a witness to a bond in 1589, and
' Johnne M'Nir elder,' in 1591. In 1592 among those
charged to appear to answer certain charges, and
denounced as rebels for non-appearance, are ' M'Noder
in Strogarne, M'inair, Carfing ; Johnne M'innair at
the Port of Locharne ; AUister Moir M'indeir, servant
to Alexander Steuart in Auldverik ; and John Dow
M'Neir.' Can this ' M'Noder in Strogarne ' be of the
same family as the ' M'Noyare de Menteth, mari de
Strogartenay ' in 1454 ? If so, this rather favours the
' d ' of ' Odhar.' To conclude these registers, in 1595,
' Donald M'Noyer, servant ' at Mildaying, is mentioned.
" The only mention of the name in the Lang charters
Septs of MacFarlane 167
is between 1566 and 1582, and is of a Sir Duncan
Maknair, alias M'Nair, notary, and treasurer of
Dunkeld.
" In conclusion may I mention ' Nigello Fabro ' and
' Patricium Fabrum,' both of Tarbert, whose names
appear in the Exchequer Rolls in 1264 ; and we also
have ' Willelmi Fabri de Lochrys,' alias ' Luchris,' in
1353 and 1387, This looks like Professor Mackinnon's
' fuibbir.'
" In Adam's ' Clans of Scotland,' the MacNairs and
MacNeurs are given as Septs of the MacFarlanes, and
the MacNuyers as a Sept of the Macnaughtons. This
points to two quite separate famihes."
Mr. Wallace at that time was seeking information in
regard to reference made in The Oban Times to the
MacNairs in Cowal in 1685, Maknewar in Dunoon in
1546, and MacNuyer in Inverness in 1681, also
Maclnayre, Loch Tay, in 1438, MacNayr (Raid of
Angus) in 1390, and MacNewar in Dunoon Parish in
1546.
ROBB.
There is a considerable difference of opinion as to
whether or not Robb is entitled to rank as a Sept of
MacFarlane. We have ourselves, no definite opinion
on the subject. E. W. R. in The Weekly Scotsman,
wrote : — " This name is of Norman descent and is a
Royal name. Their crest is a naked arm holding up a
crown wreathed in laurel. They are connected with
the Clan MacFarlane and wear their tartan."
Writing to the Hon. Secy, of the Society of The Clan
MacFarlane, Mr. M. D. Ross, of Edinburgh, on the
other hand, remarked : — "No rehance ought to be
placed on traditional pedigrees in the case of so famous
a Clan as MacFarlane, and the officials should stick out
for the real Chief representing the old line, or, otherwise,
appoint a president till the real heir of the race is found.
The enclosed cutting (E. W. R.'s remarks
quoted above) shews what absurd views find their way
i68 History of Clan MacFarlane
into print. The Robbs do not wear the MacFarlane
tartan."
A Mr. Robb bore out Mr. Ross, and Mr. J. Lindsay
wrote in reply : —
" Mr. Wm. Robb's assumptions seem out of place,
in view of the fact that I have often heard of the Robbs
belonging to the M'Farlane Clan, in Lanarkshire. If
he looks up Johnston's ' History of the Clans,' he will
find this opinion corroborated. The name comes from
Robert, Robb being the Scottish form of the name.
Robert is said to be a Teutonic personal name of great
antiquity, introduced into Britain about the time of
the Conquest. Robertus is frequently found in the
' Domestic Book.' Besides having itself become a
surname, it has given rise to a great many others, as
Roberts, Robarts, Robertson, Robins, Robbins,
Robinson, Robbie, Robison, Robeson, Robb, Robson,
Roby. It has also taken the form of Fitz-Robert,
and in Wales, of Ap- Robert and Ap-Robyn, now
contracted to Probert and Probyn. Variants are Dobb
and Hobb, from the former of which we get Dobbs,
Dobby, Dobbie, Dobson, Dabson, Dobbin, Dobbins,
Dobinson ; and from the latter, Hobbs, Hobbes,
Hobson, Hobbins, Hobkins, Hopkins, Hopkinson, and
Hoby. In the olden times all, no matter what name
they had, had to be dependents of some Sept or Clan
for their own safety. Clan MacFarlane has a fair list
of other names than its own, such as Gruamach,
Griesck, Kinnieson, Lennox, MacAindra, M'AUan,
M'Caa, M'Cause, M'Caw, M'Eoin, M'Erracher, M'Gaw,
M'Geoch, M'Nair, M'Rob, M'Robb, M' Walter,
M'Wilham, Michie, Napier, Parlane, Stalker, Weaver,
Weir. These are not all, but they let us see how our
ancestors had to bind themselves together for defence."
Mc Willi AM.
Mc William is another name in dispute. Mr. H. D.
McWilliam, writing in The Celtic Monthly, says:—
Septs of MacFarlane 169
" The writer is aware that his patronymic is to be
found in works relating to the clans as a Sept name
of the Clan MacFarlane only, suggesting to the un-
initiated, at least, that all McWilhams belong to that
Clan. If any one chooses to write to a tartan ware-
house for a pattern of McWilliam tartan, he will be
promptly furnished with one of the Clan MacFarlane.
There could be no greater delusion, and it may indeed
be that there are no present day McWilhams connected
with that Clan, as it was usual for Septs after two or
three generations to drop the patronymic and re-assume
the Clan name, and seeing that the authority is
Buchanan of Auchmar, who wrote some two centuries
ago, the patronymic may well have subsequently
fallen into disuse by the MacFarlanes. The writer
could cite a number of instances of the use of the
patronymic in connection with different Clans in the
course of the last two or three centuries where it was
afterwards superseded by the Clan name."
(Here follows over twenty references to McWilhams
in Glenlivet).
" In Glenhvet," further remarks Mr. McWilham,
" in the parish of Inveravon, Banffshire, there were,
in the 17th and i8th centuries, families distinguished
by the name of Macphersons, alias McWillie or
M'Cullie, certain descendants of which, in the present
day, are known as McWilliam and McWillie. The
ancestors of the latter, on removal from Glenlivet
towards the end of the 17th century, appear to have
discontinued the use of the name MacPherson, this
being apparently in conformity with the practice of
Highlanders in similar cases when removing to a
Lowland district. There they would have of necessity
to choose one name and adhere to it. Certain families
remaining in the glen, however, continued for a
century later to be called by both names, and it would
appear that they, in all probabihty, finally adhered to
Macpherson.
170 History of Clan MacFarlane
" But although the families which left the Glen in the
17th century also left what may be called their Clan
name behind them, their descendants, for the most
part, retain traditions to this day indicative of a
Macpherson origin. One of these is to the effect that
a McWniie, resident in the parish of Cabrach, at the
' 45 ', sent a substitute attired in Macpherson tartan
to fight for Prince Charhe. Another tradition is that
the McWiUies (now McWiUiams) who settled on the
estate of Grant of Balhndalloch about 1743, were
asked by Macpherson of Invereshie on his succeeding
to BaUindalloch in 1806, to assume (or resume) the
name of Macpherson. This laird, it appears, had the
reputation among old Badenoch seanachies of being
wonderfully conversant with the history, traditions,
genealogies, etc., of his own clan, so that if he believed
these McWillies to be real Macphersons there could be
nothing more natural than that he should urge them,
as a Chief of his name, to re-assume their old surname.
" In these days, when one sees so many enquiries as to
the particular Clan to which persons belong, it has
occurred to the writer that the insertion of these notes
might prove helpful to others who, like the writer, are
saddled with a patronymic which has prevailed in
many Clans."
" Wilson is a form of Williamson or Mac William.
Weir.
As has already been suggested, the name Weir is an
anglicised form of MacNair. Other explanations of
its origin are : —
" This name is derived from a local circumstance,
to wit, one who resided by or near to a weir (on a river).
It is fairly plentiful in Scotland. Major Weir, of evil
fame, was a well known Edinburgh figure, and in 1794
a Weir had a museum of natural history at No, 16
Princess Street. Crest — a demi-horse, arg. Motto —
Nihil verius (' Nothing more true ').
Septs of MacFarlane 171
" The Weirs are an old Lanarkshire family, there
having been landed proprietors of that name for many
generations in that district, although the family is no
longer there. I have been told, though I have no
proof of the fact,that the name was originally De Vere.
It may therefore be of Norman descent. The crest is
a hand upright holding a wreath of olive. Motto —
In utriumque paratus ('Prepared for anything')."
Finally, in an autograph letter from the Rev, John
Weir, St. James' Manse, Forfar, occurs the following,
which, from a romantic standpoint, we like best of
all:—
" The Weirs are believed to be a branch of the
MacFarlanes, the tradition being that more than 150
years ago there were two young men, brothers, under-
stood to be sons of the head of the Clan at Arrochar.
They quarrelled, both being in love with the same lady.
The younger ran his sword into the body of the elder,
and, fearing he had killed him, fled over the hills.
Finding himself pursued, and seeing men smelting or
forging metal in a rude way, he appealed to them to
protect or hide him. They hid him in a pit, and
directed the pursuers to hasten beyond where he was
hidden. The young man became ' feurin,' which, in
GaeUc, is a forger (of iron). The word ' feurin ' is
said to have been gradually changed to Weir — F
transmuted into W."
Mac Jock.
This name is the modern Jackson, i.e., Jock's son.
MacCondy.
" Amongst the prairie scouts who made civiUsation
possible in the great West," writes R. Graham
Fergusson, " the McCondys were a Sept of the Clan
MacFarlane. The Mac was usually dropped, as in the
case of Elias Bean, the greatest of them all."
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